m 


CONSTIPATION,  AND  ITS  UNMEDICINAL  CURE. 

By  W.  W.  HALL,  M.  D. 


i vol.  i2mo.  Si. 50. 


mono  the  objects  of  this  book  are  : First,  to  show  how  health 
may  be  preserved  and  disease  cured  by  the  proper  adaptation  of 
food  in  quantity  and  quality  to  the  conditions  of  the  system 
Second,  to  discourage  self-medication.  Third,  to  cause  a higher 
appreciation  of  the  value  of  medicine  in  the  hands  of  the  educated 
and  honorable  physician.  Fourth,  that  by  fatting  into  the  hands 
of  the  young  of  both  sexes,  their  attention  may  be  efficiently 
turned  to  the  maintenance  of  a good  constitution  to  a happy, 
healthy,  and  useful  old  age. 

Some  of  the  contents  of  the  book  are  : — 

Apoplexy  ; Anodynes ; Appetite  ; Amateur  Doctors  ; Aches 
and  Asthma  ; Regulation  of  Bowels  ; Bad  Breath  ; Brown  Bread  ; 
Binding  Food  ; Costiveness  } Cleanliness  ; Chilliness  at  Meals  ; 
Coffee ; Change  of  Clothing ; Cooling  off  Slowly ; Cracked 
Wheat ; Dyspepsia  ; Drinking  ‘at  Meals  ; Flannel ; Fainting  ; 
Horseback  Exercise ; Hoe  Cake ; Hominy ; Late  Dinners ; 
Over-fatigue  ; Patent  Medicines  ; Stockings  ; Spectacles  ; Toast- 
ed Bread  ; Teeth  ; Virginia  Corn  Bread. 

“ Dr.  Hall  has  gained  an  extensive  and  favorable  reputation  for  his  applica- 
tion of  shrewd  practical  common-sense  to  the  practice  of  medicine.  He  is  no 
believer  in  the  long-established  custom  of  turning  the  stomach  into  a drug- 
shop.  He  has  strong  faith  in  the  recuperative  powers  of  the  constitution, 
under  the  influence  of  proper  diet,  exercise  in  the  open  air,  and  good  general 
habits.  The  volume  before  us  treats  of  the  diseases  which  belong  more  espe- 
cially to  sedentary  life,  and  of  their  causes  and  cure.  It  is  free  from  technical- 
ities, and  entirely  within  the  comprehension  of  all  classes  of  readers.  We  do 
not  doubt  that  its  suggestions,  if  carried  out,  would  prevent  much  suffering 
and  prolong  many  valuable  lives.  We  commend  the  work  particularly  to  theo- 
logical students  and  young  ministers,  most  of  whom  have  much  to  learn  as  to 
the  laws  of  health.”  — The  Presbyterian , Philadelphia. 

“ We  have  a very  high  estimate  of  the  medical  skill,  the  good  sense,  honesty, 
judgment,  and  discrimination  of  Dr.  Hall.  We  have  read  many  of  these 
articles  with  great  satisfaction,  and  believe  the  book  worth  its  weight  ii  old 

to  a family ; for  if  its  counsels  are  heeded,  it  will  save  people  much  si  ess 


aud  expense,  while  it  will  promote  their  happiness.”  — Baltimore  Lu  r an 

Observer . 


HUBD  AND  HOUGHTON,  New  York; 

H.  O.  HOUGHTON  & CO.,  Riverside,  Cambridge,  Mass. 


jr&w, 

are  not  to  be  taken  from 


4 


Return  this  book  on  or  before  the 
Latest  Date  stamped  below. 


University  of  Illinois  Library 


L161 — H41 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/healthbygoodliviOOhall 


library 


^ . 


HEALTH 


BY 

GOOD  LIVING. 


w.  W.  HALL,  M.D., 

torroa  of  '‘hall’s  journal  of  health,”  and  author  of  ••  bronchitis  ant 
kindred  diseases,’’  “sleep,”  “health  and  disease,” 

“ COUGHS  AND  COLDS,”  ETC.,  ETC. 


NEW  YORK: 

PUBLISHED  BY  HURD  AND  HOUGHTON. 

®aral)tfage:  a&tberst&e  jaress. 

1871. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1870,  by 
W.  W.  Hall, 

in  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  New  York. 


RIVERSIDE,  CAMBRIDGE' : 
STEREOTYPED  AND  PRINTED  H f 
H.  0.  HOUGHTON  AND  COMPANY. 


remote  storage 


PREFACE. 


This  book  is  to  show  how  high  health  can  be  main- 
tained, and  common  diseases  cured  by  “ good  living,” 
which  means  eating  with  a relish  the  best  food  pre- 
pared in  the  best  manner. 

The  best  food  includes  meats,  fish,  poultry,  wild 
game,  fruits,  and  the  grains  which  make  bread. 

The  best  cookery  preserves  the  natural  tastes  and 
juices. 

As  there  can  be  no  “good  living”  without  a good 
appetite,  how  to  get  this  great  blessing  without  money 
and  without  price  necessarily,  is  pointed  out,  and  it  is 
hoped,  in  very  clear  and  plain  terms. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAQB 

THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

WHEN  TO  EAT 13 

CHAPTER  III. 

WHAT  TO  EAT 45 

CHAPTER  IV. 

HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT 56 

CHAPTER  V. 

REGULARITY  IN  EATING 93 

CHAPTER  YI. 

HOW  TO  EAT 99 

CHAPTER  VII. 

BILIOUSNESS Ill 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

DYSPEPSIA 123 

CHAPTER  IX. 

NEURALGIA 166 

CHAPTER  X. 

NERVOUSNESS  . 173 

CHAPTER  XI. 

THE  UNITY  OF  DISEASE 195 

CHAPTER  XII. 

AIR  AND  EXERCISE  200 


VI 


CONTENTS, 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

PAGB 

FOOD  CURE 210 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

“HEALTH  BY  GOOD  LIVING.”  — THE  ARGUMENT  . . . 225 

CHAPTER  XV. 

REST 228 

APPENDIX 241 


NOTES 


259 


HEALTH  BY  GOOD  LIVING. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 

We  eat  to  live  ; and  if  we  eat  wisely  of  what  He 
has  provided  who  giveth  us  all  things  richly  to 
enjoy,  we  shall  live  well,  healthfully,  and  long. 

To  eat  wisely,  we  must  adapt  our  food  to  our 
age,  to  the  various  occupations  and  callings  of  life, 
and  to  the  temperaments  of  the  system.  This  may 
appear  to  be  a very  discouraging  complexity  in  the 
very  outset,  but  it  is  only  seeming  ; for  Infinite  Wis- 
dom and  Fatherly  Beneficence  h\s  implanted  within 
us  a kind  of  self-acting  guide,  Ih^s  made  it  a part  of 
our  being,  and,  if  it  is  wisely  deferred  to  and  con- 
siderately followed,  half  the  ordinary  diseases  of 
humanity  would  be  blotted  out,  and  a score  of  years 
added  to  the  average  duration  of  civilized  life. 

As  soon  as  the  little  duck  breaks  its  shell,  it  wad- 
dles toward  the  water,  and  sails  away  over  the 
bosom  of  the  tiny  pond  right  gracefully. 

The  humble  climbing  vine  will  direct  its  course 
straight  to  the  nearest  bean-pole  ; and  the  roots  of 
flower,  and  shrub,  and  tree,  as  they  delve  down  into 


2 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


the  hard  earth,  will  ferret  out  the  richness  and  the 
moisture  of  the  soil,  taking  the  very  shortest  course 
to  the  more  favored  spots ; and  so  the  infant,  in  the 
first  hours  of  its  existence,  greedily  partakes  of  its 
mother’s  milk,  which  contains  'in  large  proportions 
the  elements  which  supply  the  first  necessities  of 
infantile  existence.  This  wise  and  friendly  guide 
to  animal,  and  plant,  and  man  is  called  “ Instinct 
and  is  our  kindly  mentor  and  preserver  from  the  first 
cry  of  infancy,  until  the  fiat  of  the  Maker  calls  the 
\ patriarch  home  to  His  bosom  in  heaven ! This  in- 
stinct is  chiefly  our  guide  during  the  undeveloped 
mental  condition  of  infancy  and  childhood  ; at  those 
accidental  seasons  of  later  life  when  reason  may  be 
in  abeyance  from  disease  or  other  causes  ; and  when 
action  is  necessary  to  the  preservation  of  the  body 
in  the  various  emergencies  to  which  humanity  is 
subject,  and  which  action  must  be  taken  before  rea- 
son has  had  time  to  assert  herself.  This  is  familiarly 
illustrated  in  every-day  life  when  the  child,  or  even 
the  man,  stumbles  and  falls  forward,  throwing  his 
hands  before  him,  to  preserve  the  more  important 
part,  the  face,  from  disfigurement.  The  writer  has 
seen  men  fall  from  the  tops  of  houses  and  from  a 
mile  in  height, 1and  the  body  was  always  noticed  to 
assume  the  shape  of  a ball,  as  if  to  present  the 
smallest  possible  surface  for  the  terrible  contact. 
The  cattle  in  the  field,  in  cold,  windy,  rainy  weather 
and  in  the  sleets  of  winter,  draw  up  the  body  or 
contract  the  back  to  a circu/ar  form,  thus  present- 
ing less  surface  to  the  chilling  blast.  Men,  in  very 
i See  Note  IV.  p.  274. 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


3 


cold  winds,  thus  contract  themselves  in  walking  or 
in  sitting  down,  in  the  out-doors,  by  which  means 
less  of  the  surface  of  the  body  is  exposed  to  the 
wind,  and,  as  a consequence,  less  heat  is  carried 
from  the  system.  This  is  the  work  of  Instinct  ; but 
few,  comparatively,  knew  the  philosophy  of  it  until 
explained  to  them,  as  now. 

It  is  this  same  Instinct,  exhibited  in  another  di- 
rection, which  calls  for  food  to  sustain  nature.  The 
animal  creation  is  probably  guided  by  it  altogether 
in  eating,  as  to  time,  quality,  and  quantity,  and,  as 
we  see,  is  in  a measure  exempt  from  disease,  dying 
more  by  age  and  violence  than  by  sickness. 

The  animal,  the  infant,  and  the  demented  seem 
to  be  guided  in  their  eating,  mainly  at  least,  by  the 
instinct  of  a natural  appetite  ; and  if  men  were 
more  under  this  same  influence,  and  were  less  the 
slaves  of  appetites  which  are  artificial  and  acquired, 

. it  will  scarcely  be  denied  that  they  w’ould  be  largely 
exempt  from  many  of  the  maladies  which  now  afflict 
civilized  society.  W e eat  to  live,  and  life  is  warmth, 
growth,  repair,  and  power  of  labor.  The  first  ne- 
cessity of  human  Existence  is  warmth,  alike  indis- 
pensable to  infancy,  manhood,  and  old  age.  At 
every  period  of  life,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  in  the 
tropics  and  at  the  poles,  the  human  bo$y  in  health 
maintains  the  same  temperature,  which  is  about 
wiinety-eight  degrees,  Fahrenheit.  This  warmth  is 
derived  from  the  food  we  eat ; and  that  which  yields 
neat  in  large  proportions  is  called  “ carbonaceous,” 
answering  to  one  of  ths  simple,  original  elements. 


4 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


u carbon,  the  more  familiar  representative  of  which 
is  charcoal.  Carbon  or  charcoal  burned  before  our 
eyes  gives  out  heat ; when  taken  into  the  system  in 
the  form  of  food,  it  undergoes  a process  of  burning 
there  also,  and  throws  out  a warmth  which,  diffused 
over  the  body,  is  called  vital  heat . The  amount  of 
such  heat  necessary  to  the  health  of  a good-sized 
man,  and  which  is  developed  from  the  food  eaten 
in  twenty-four  hours,  would*  heat  twenty  gallons 
of  ice-cold  water  to  a boil,  or  from  thirty-two  de- 
grees to  two  hundred  and  twelve. 

Sugars,  starches,  and  oils  are  the  more  concen- 
trated forms  of  carbonaceous  food,  some  of  them 
having  scarcely  anything  left  after  all  the  carbon 
has  been  withdrawn.  And,  as  if  to  compel  help- 
less infancy  and  feeble  age  to  use  the  means  neces- 
sary to  keep  the  body  warm  enough  to  live,  Provi- 
dence has  given  to  childhood  an  almost  insatiable 
desire  for  sweets  ; and  without  the  element  of  sweet- 
ness in  its  food,  the  healthiest  born  infant  would  die 
in  less  than  a month.  In  vain  would  it  nestle  in 
its  mother’s  bosom,  in  vain  its  exposure  to  the 
warming  sunshine,  and  in  vain  the  softest  blankets 
and  the  finest  furs  to  encase  its  body ; for  the 
warmth  which  sustains  human  life  must  come  from 
within,  — njust  be  generated  by  the  internal  com- 
bustion of  the  carbonaceous  elements  of  eaten  food. 

As  we  turn  the  downhill  of  life,  we  begin  to 
grow  chilly ; the  aged  court  the  sunshine  ; they 
covet  the  chimney-corner ; or,  sitting  before  the 
fire  on  the  hearth,  they  stretch  out  their  feeble, 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


5 


trembling  arms,  and  spread  abroad  their  thin  and 
bony  fingers,  and,  with  open  mouth,  bend  toward 
the  cheerful  blaze  as  if  drinking  in  the  delicious 
heat ; and,  on  reflection,  it  will  be  found  that  for 
long  years  there  had  been  a growing  love  for  meats, 
and  fats,  and  butter,  and  oils  ; it  was  instinct  leading 
the  way  for  the  generation  of  that  warmth  which 
would  be  increasingly  needed  as  years  passed  on, 
and  which  was  to  be  more  suitably  derived  from  the 
carbonaceous  elements  of  fats  and  oils  than  from 
the  sweets  of  sugars,  so  coveted  and  so  rioted  in  by 
children  ; and  it  is  just  as  unpliysiological,  and  just 
as  unwise,  to  deprive  the  old  man  of  the  fat  meats 
on  which  he  luxuriates,  as  to  deny  to  childhood  the 
sweets  which  constitute  its  heaven  ; hence  the  prej- 
udice which  deprives  the  young  of  sweets  is  founded 
in  ignorance.  Childhood  must  have  warmth,  and 
wise  Nature  has  implanted  within  it  an  overpower- 
ing appetite  for  the  sweet  foods  from  which  that 
warmth  is  to  be  generated.  Reason  must  be  the 
guide,  as  will  be  seen  hereafter,  as  to  the  times,  and 
quantities,  and  qualities  of  the  sweets  to  be  taken. 

It  has  now  been  shown  that  we  eat  to  keep  our- 
selves warm.  In  the  Tables  at  the  end  of  this  book, 
some  of  the  more  familiar  and  common  articles  of 
food  are  named,  with  the  amount  of  the  carbona- 
ceous principle  in  each.  Not  that  we  are  to  eat 
mathematically,  by  square  or  compass,  by  weight  or 
measure,  nor  by  any  inflexible  rule  ; those  who  do 
go  will  die  early.  There  is  not  a straight  line  in  all 
Nature.  A loving  Providence  has  created  us  with 


6 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


wonderful  adaptabilities  ; has  allowed  us  a liberal 
margin  of  action,  that  by  the  aid  of  reason  we  may 
accommodate  ourselves  to  the  various  exigencies  of 
human  life.  He  has  not  placed  us  in  this  beautiful 
world  to  be  put  in  a strait-jacket.  He  has  not 
made  it  death  to  us,  if  we  eat  a minute  before  we 
are  hungry,  or  drink  a drop  beyond  the  wants  of 
the  system,  but  has  given  our  constitutions  a cer- 
tain pliability  by  which  they  are  able  to  adapt  them- 
selves to  the  emergencies  incident  to  our  earthly 
condition. 

We  must  not  only  eat  to  keep  warm,  we  must 
EAT  TO  GROW. 

The  blade  of  grass  of  to-day  is  taller  than  it  was 
yesterday ; the  sapling,  larger  than  a year  ago  ; 
and  the  huge  oak  stretches  its  giant  arms  higher 
in  the  air,  and  wider,  than  a century  since.  All 
these  grow  in  part  by  feeding  on  the  air,  by  draw- 
ing its  component  elements  to  themselves,  then 
condensing  them  into  more  solid  substances,  which 
are  incorporated  with  themselves,  and  thus  become 
part  and  parcel  of  the  living  body  ; but,  at  the  same 
time,  the  little  roots  below  stretch  out  their  tiny 
tendrils  deep  and  broad,  and  by  a mysterious  agency 
dissolve  the  solid  earth  and  its  more  solid  metals 
into  fluids  and  thinner  gases,  and  then,  drawing 
them  up  into  the  growing  body,  they  become  solid- 
ified, and  make  a part  of  the  living  whole.  In  ways 
like  these,  atom  b j atom  is  added  to  blade,  and  stalk, 
and  towering  tree,  and  thus  do  they  grow  day  by 


WE  EAT  TO  GKOW. 


7 


day.  Hence  vegetation  eats  to  grow,  by  appropri- 
ating exterior  unliving  things  to  its  own  living  uses  ; 
it  takes  the  inanimate  earth  and  air,  and  makes 
them  a living  part  of  its  living  self,  and  in  turn  is 
appropriated  to  the  sustentation  of  a form  of  life  as 
much  higher  than  itself  as  it  was  above  the  baser 
dust  on  which  it  fed  ; for  upon  this  lower  life  of 
grass,  and  herb,  and  tree,  the  cattle  on  a thousand 
hills  are  fed,  and  they  at  last  are  given  to  men  to 
eat,  and  thus  become  incorporated  in  turn  into  a still 
higher  existence,  are  made  a part  and  parcel  of  the 
living  embodiment  of  man ; a candidate  for  an  im- 
mortal state  beyond,  at  so  infinite  a remove  above 
the  beasts  which  perish,  that  he  is  even  now  but  a 
little  lower  than  the  angels,  and  is  ordained  to  have 
a nobler  name,  a higher  place,  and  a grander  des- 
tiny than  they  ! 

In  a deep,  damp,  dark  dungeon,  writes  a lady 
of  world-wide  renown,  I saw  him  chained  to'  the 
cold,  slimy  stone  floor  ; his  largest  liberty  was  three 
steps  back  and  forth  ; that  ugly,  clanking  chain 
never  by  any  possibility  allowed  him  to  go  further ; 
and  all  day  long,  and  sometimes  all  night,  for  so 
many  mournful  years,  the  weary,  naked  foot  had 
fallen  on  the  same  hard  spot  on  that  pitiless  stone, 
and  had  worn  into  it  a deep  hollow  ; yes,  the  solid 
stone  had  worn  away,  but  not  the  soft  skin  of  that 
unhappy  prisoner’s  foot ; it  gave  no  sign  of  wearing 
aut.  The  stone  was  dead  matter,  and  when  a por- 
tion of  it,  ever  so  infinitesimally  small,  was  worn 
away,  there  was  no  power  to  replace  it.  The  sole 


8 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


of  the  foot  was  a living  thing.  It  wore  away  faster, 
much  faster  than  the  more  solid  stone  ; but  as  soon 
as  one  particle  was  displaced,  another  was  deposited 
in  its  stead ; as  when  a soldier  falls  in  the  front  rank 
of  battle,  his  brave  comrade  from  the  rear  takes  his 
position,  and  the  line  remains  always  full.  This 
particle  supplied  to  the  worn  foot  is  brought  to  it 
in  the  blood  which  circulates  to  every  pin-point  of 
the  body,  but  that  particle  is  supplied  from  the  food 
eaten.  Hence,  we  not  only  eat  for  purposes  of 
warmth  and  growth,  but 

WE  EAT  FOR  REPAIR. 

All  machinery,  the  most  perfect  piece  of  mechan 
ism  which  ever  came  from  human  hands,  will  wear 
out,  because  there  is  friction.  Its  cogs,  its  wheels, 
its  bearings,  its  axles,  and  its  cylinders  all  move 
upon  one  another,  more  or  less  directly.  Such 
motion  implies  friction,  and  friction  causes  loss  of 
substance  necessarily.  Millions  of  money  are  ex- 
pended every  year  for  the  purchase  of  oils  and 
other  lubricants  to  lessen  the  tremendous  wear  and 
waste  in  the  running  of  our  locomotives,  the  trains 
on  our  railroads,  and  the  machinery  of  our  number- 
less mills  and  manufactories.  But  the  living  hu- 
man body  came  from  the  hands  of  the  Infinite  One. 
It  is  the  perfection  of  mechanism,  and  has  within 
itself  the  ’power  of  growth  and  development ; and 
more,  it  makes  its  own  repairs  and  provides  its  own 
lubricants  ; it  works  incessantly  day  and  night,  sum- 
mer and  winter,  seed-time  and  harvest,  for  a hun- 


WE  EAT  FOR  REPAIR. 


9 


dred  years.  It  never  stops,  it  never  wears  out, 
until  the  work  is  completed  for  which  it  was  made, 
and  the  Master-builder  bids  it  run  no  more  ! It  is 
made  of  its  hundreds  of  muscles,  and  bands,  and 
sockets,  and  hinges,  and  pulleys,  all  playing  upon  or 
dragging  across  each  other.  The  very  smallest  of 
these  motions  involves  waste ; indeed,  not  a single 
crook  of  the  finger,  not  a bend  of  the  arm,  not  a 
twinkle  of  the  eye,  not  a thought  of  the  brain,  but 
is  at  the  expense  of  some  solid  portion  of  the  hu- 
man machine ; and  yet,  at  the  end  of  a century, 
it  remains  a whole  in  all  its  parts  ; while  the  most 
perfect  constructions  of  man  come  to  a dead  stop  in 
a very  few  months,  and  would  stand  still  forever, 
unless  some  new  cog,  or  pin,  or  pulley  was  supplied. 
But  the  tongue  which  speaks  to-day,  spoke  a hun- 
dred years  ago  just  as  well,  and  the  eyelid  winks  as 
easily  at  fourscore  as  in  infancy  ; it  does  not  even 
wink  tiredly.  And  all  this,  not  because  there  are 
no  wastes  of  substance  in  this  wonderful  frame  of 
ours,  but  because  they  are  as  promptly  repaired  as 
made. 

We  not  only  eat  for  warmth,  and  growth,  and  re- 
pair, but  for  the  generation  of  those  internal  forces 
of  brain  and  body,  of  thought  and  action,  of  volun- 
tary and  involuntary  motion,  which  together  con- 
stitute man’s  efficiency  as  an  immortal  being.  All 
now  understand  that  food  gives  nourishment,  and 
nourishment  includes  warmth,  growth,  repair,  and 
strength  or  power  to  work  as  to  body  and  brain. 
The  ordinary  articles  of  food  have  one  or  more  of 


10 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


these  elements  in  varied  proportions.  Some  have 
all,  as  milk,  and  eggs,  and  bread ; and  the  instincts 
of  the  race  have  led  to  the  adoption  of  these  as  ar- 
ticles of  food  the  world  over.  But,  whatever  we 
eat,  three  things  must  be  supplied  to  us  daily,  car- 
bon to  keep  us  warm,  nitrogen  to  give  us  flesh  and 
strength,  and  salts,  which,  in  combination  with 
carbon  and  nitrogen,  makes  them  nutritious  ; these 
“ salts  ” are  represented  by  the  ashes  which  are  left 
if  we  or  the  food  we  eat  were  burnt  up.  And  any 
article  of  food  which  combines  in  it  the  three  ele- 
ments named,  carbon,  nitrogen,  and  salts,  gives  the 
idea  of  perfect  food,  of  which  bread,  and  meat,  and 
milk  are  the  most  familiar  samples. 

POWER  TO  WORK. 

The  power  for  bodily  labor  and  mental  effort 
must  be  supplied  from  food  which  contains  nitro- 
gen, expressed  hereafter  by  the  single  word  albumi- 
nate, from  its  resemblance  to  albumen,  the  most 
familiar  representation  of  which  is  the  white  of  an 
egg.  If  the  blood  is  cold,  and  is  then  heated,  a 
portion  of  it  melts,  and  becomes  fluid ; this  is  called 
“ albumen.”  All  understand  that  the  blood  is  our 
life.  It  is  the  blood  which  builds  us  up,  which  gives 
animation  to  the  whole  human  system.  The  ele- 
ment which  does  all  this,  is  the  albuminate  por- 
tion ; and  this  principle  is  found  in  all  the  food 
eaten  by  animals  and  men  ; it  is  found  alike  in 
plant,  and  bush,  and  tree  ; in  the  sap,  and  seed,  and 
fruit ; and  more  especially,  and  in  largest  quantity, 


POWER  TO  WORK. 


11 


in  all  the  grains  from  which  we  make  bread,  which, 
from  this  fact,  is  emphatically  the  staff  of  life. 

Foods  which  are  rich  in  carbon,  which  give  only 
warmth,  such  as  starch,  sugar,  fats,  and  oils,  give 
no  strength,  nor  can  they  sustain  life  long,  if  not 
combined  with  albuminate  and  salts  ; hence,  if  a 
man  wants  the  power  to  work  day  after  day,  he 
must  renew  that  power  by  eating  food  which  gives 
it,  which  contains  albuminate.  And  this  is  not  by 
any  means  a mere  theory  or  conjecture.  It  is  the 
observation  of  men  who,  without  science,  have 
noticed,  in  the  employment  of  large  numbers  of 
laborers  on  railroads,  that  those  who  had  the  best 
appetites  did  the  best  day’s  work  ; mere  size  was  a 
secondary  consideration,  except  the  size  of  the  ap- 
petite, because,  the  more  food  of  a mixed  kind,  such 
as  comes  upon  our  tables  ordinarily,  a man  con- 
sumes, the  larger  the  quantity  of  albuminate  taken 
into  the  system.  A good  feeder  makes  a good 
worker,  hence  the  poorest  of  all  economies  is  the 
stinting  of  those  who  are  employed  to  do  work ; 
and  not  only  does  a man  become  unable  to  do  a 
good  day’s  work  on  a scanty  allowance  of  food,  but 
he  requires  time  for  recuperation  ; for  after  you 
begin  to  feed  him  well,  several  days  are  needed 
to  enable  him  to  come  up  to  his  proper  work.  And 
what  has  been  said  of  power  of  body,  is  equally  true 
as  to  the  brain,  for  the  man  who  studies  hard,  must 
sat  abundantly,  else  not  only  debility  of  body 
follows,  but  the  brain  begins  to  consume  itself,  to 
feed  on  its  own  substance,  — many  a man  has 


12 


THE  OBJECT  OF  EATING. 


thought  himself  to  death.  The  intense  thinking 
made  the  brain  feed  upon  itself,  because  nutriment 
was  not  supplied  to  it  fast  enough  by  generous  food 
and  a healthful  and  vigorous  digestion  ; for,  as  di- 
gestion fails,  the  brain  ceases  to  work  clearly,  legit- 
imately, logically,  and  to  advantage.  There  is  a 
consumption  of  the  brain  as  well  as  of  the  lungs, 
and  both  mean  death,  unless  wise  remedies  are  ap- 
plied, and  in  a timely  manner. 

The  amount  of  power  supplied  to  the  human 
body  in  the  course  of  a life-time  from  the  food  eaten 
will  strike  the  unreflecting  with  amazement.  Leave 
out  of  the  account  all  the  steps  a man  takes  during 
his  threescore  years  and  ten ; leave  out,  too,  all  the 
work  he  does  with  his  hands,  and  all  the  turnings 
of  his  body  ; and  take  into  calculation  the  force 
which  only  one  little  organ  expends  during  a life- 
time, the  busy,  busy  beating  heart,  which  beats  three 
thousand  millions  of  times  without  a stop,  and,  in 
doing  so,  propels  from  itself  to  the  farthest  extremi- 
ties of  the  body  which  it  serves,  half  a million  tons 
of  blood ! and  in  every  such  propulsion  exists  a 
force  represented  by  thirteen  pounds.  We  eat  for 
power  to  work. 


CHAPTER  II. 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 

The  instinct,  observation,  and  experience  of  civil- 
ized society  have  led  to  the  practice* of  eating  three 
times  a day,  — morning,  noon,  and  night.  Circum- 
stances, habit,  necessity,  have  caused  the  appoint- 
ment of  different  hours  for  eating  in  some  cases 
without  demonstrably  hurtful  results ; but  the  great 
general  rule,  for  those  who  work,  is  as  above  stated, 
and  for  them  the  best  time  for 

BREAKFAST 

is  the  early  part  of  the  morning,  before  they  go  out 
to  their  daily  labor.  A habitual  compliance  with 
this  single,  simple  rule  would  almost  exterminate 
the  greatest  scourge  of  the  Western  Hemisphere, 
fever  and  ague  ; and  this  would  of  itself  be  a bless- 
ing of  inconceivable  value.  Any  reader  who  was 
in  the  habit  of  spending  a night  now  and  then 
with  the  hospitable  old  Dutch  farmers  around  New 
York  forty  years  ago,  will  remember  that  it  was  a 
custom  among  many  of  them  to  breakfast  by  day- 
light, especially  in  the  winter-time,  and  very  early 
in  the  morning  in  summer;  who  were  healthier, 
and  lived  longer,  than  the  old  Knickerbockers  ? 

In  the  earliest  years  of  the  writer,  in  the  great 
Mississippi  Valley,  the  word  — 


14 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


ANTIFOGMATIC 

was  an  expression  of  every-day  life,  which  carried 
with  it  a practice  of  great  value.  It  then  meant  an 
“ early  dram,”  a good  drink  of  honest  whiskey,  for 
it  was  in  the  very  heart  of  “ Old  Bourbon  ” where 
these  things  transpired  ; but  the  appellation  origi- 
nate i in  the  custom  of  taking  something  into  the 
stomach  very  early  in  the  morning,  when  the  damp 
and  pestiferous  fogs  and  bad  airs  hung  low  over  the 
country  and  the  town ; for  it  came  by  degrees  to 
be  observed,  that  those  who  ate  something  very 
early  in  the  day,  were  exempt  from  fever  and  ague. 
When  it  was  not  convenient  to  prepare  a regular 
breakfast,  it  was  thought  something  in  its  place 
might  answer  the  same  purpose ; and  the  most  con- 
venient substitute  was  a drink  of  whiskey,  which 
then  and  there  was  very  cheap,  about  two  dimes  a 
gallon.  The  “ tavern  ” was  the  “ grog-shop  ” in 
those  days ; but  even  at  that  early  time  there  was 
something  in  a name,  and  some  respect  for  appear- 
ances ; and  the  sturdy  old  fellows,  not  willing  to 
acknowledge  they  were  going  to  get  a drink  of 
grog,  would  speak  of  it  as  an  “ antifogmatic,”  a 
rude  combination  of  words  intended  to  mean  some- 
thing which  nullified  the  effects  of  the  early  morn- 
ing fog  upon  the  general  system  ; and  a good  many 
of  those  men  who  took  their  antifogmatics  every 
morning,  lived  to  the  age  of  sixty,  and  seventy,  and 
eighty  years. 

In  one  of  the  hottest  of  all  hot  summers;  in  the 


ANTIFOGMA' 


sickliest  locality  of  all  sickly  plac 
States,  so  sickly  that  it  was  called 

*'  it  --sru 

ial  ground  ; ” on  the  low-banked,  stagnant,  and  slimy 
bayous  of  the  South,  — then  and  there,  where  death 
was  so  common,  and  sudden,  and  frequent,  that  men 
thought  human  life  a mere  bauble,  and,  not  satisfied 
with  the  fearful  fatalities  of  sickness,  rioted  in  their 
desperate  recklessness,  and  were  hewing  each  other 
to  pieces  with  their  bowie-knives,  for  it  was  then 
and  there  that  “ Jim  Bowie  ” lived,  — in  such  a 
summer,  in  such  a place,  the  author,  fresh  with  his 
diploma,  first  began  the  practice  of  medicine.  Rid- 
ing day  and  night,  early  and  late,  through  broiling 
suns  and  drenching  rains  ; prompt  at  every  call  from 
one  plantation  to  another,  from  country  to  town, 
from  swamps  to  pine  hills;  sleeping  night  by  night 
on  the  very  bank  of  the  most  sullen  and  stagnant  and 
slimy  of  all  the  bayous  of  that  region,  — he  never 
was  sick  for  one  single  remembered  half  second. 


He  never  left  the  house  under  any  circumstance, 
never  went  outside  the  door  after  daylight,  until  he 
had  taken  his  breakfast.  While  one  class  of  per- 
sons “ died  off  like  sheep,”  it  was  noticed  that 
another  class  did  not  die  at  all ; they  lived  and  lived 
on  indefinitely  long,  and  finally  dried  up.  Some 
of  them  the  author  knew ; they  were  old  thirty 
years  ago,  are  apparently  no  older  now  — the 
French  Creole  planters ; they  would  have  a cup  of 
strong  hot  coffee  brought  to  their  bedsides  every 
morning  before  they  rose  to  dress. 

The  principle  under  discussion  is  one  of  incalcu- 


16 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


lable  practical  importance,  especially  in  new  coun- 
tries, in  all  flat-lying  lands,  on  all  river  bottoms, 
and  wherever  vegetation  is  rank,  luxuriant,  and  of 
rapid  growth ; hence  pains  have  been  taken  to  pre- 
sent facts  which  cannot  be  disputed,  and  if  they 
but  make  a just  impression  on  the  mind  of  the 
reader,  the  practical  carrying  them  out  will  bring 
its  own  reward.  Here,  in  a Northern  State,  in  a 
Western  State,  in  a Southern  State,  one  practice, 
adopted  by  different  nationalities  in  different  lati- 
tudes, was  followed  by  the  uniform  result  of  a re- 
markable exemption  from  diseases  which  prevailed 
in  every  direction  among  those  who  neglected  that 
practice,  to  wit,  of  taking  something  into  the  stom- 
ach very  early  in  the  morning  after  a night’s  sleep. 

WHY  AN  EARLY  BREAKFAST. 

The  longer  the  interval  between  eating,  the 
weaker  does  the  body,  as  a whole,  become  ; and  so 
with  each  individual  member  and  organ.  Five  or 
six  hours  is  the  usual  average  between  breakfast  and 
dinner,  and  between  dinner  and  supper  ; and  the 
reader  is  conscious  of  a weakness  or  faintness  com- 
monly preceding  the  eating  hour,  especially  if  work 
of  body  or  brain  has  been  done. 

Another  observation  has  been  made,  that  after  a 
meal,  in  health,  we  feel  better,  stronger,  more  vig- 
orous. But  from  supper  to  breakfast  there  is  an 
interval  of  ten  or  twelve  hours,  about  double  that 
between  the  other  meals  ; and  although  there  may 
not  have  been  as  much  thought  or  work  as  between 


WHY  AN  EARLY  BREAKFAST. 


17 


the  others,  still  there  has  been  enough  to  leave  the 
body  more  or  less  faint  or  languid,  as  witness  our 
own  sensations  when  we  are  about  getting  up  in  the 
morning ; witness,  too,  our  indisposition  to  activity 
or  labor  for  some  time  after  rising. 

In  proportion  as  the  body  is  debilitated,  every 
individual  part,  member,  or  organ  shares  its  proper 
portion  of  that  debility.  The  whole  body  being 
more  or  less  debilitated  in  the  morning  soon  after 
we  get  up,  the  stomach  and  the  heart  are  propor- 
tionally weak. 

In  proportion  as  the  body  is  debilitated,  it  is  sus- 
ceptible to  the  influences  of  disease ; this  is  true 
the  world  over,  and  is  admitted  alike  by  all  classes 
of  practicing  physicians  and  all  schools  of  physiolo- 
gists. Not  only  is  the  body  more  liable  to  disease 
in  the  morning  from  the  long  fast  of  the  night  and 
the  consequent  debility  attending  it,  but  it  is  more 
liable  from  the  want  of  vigor  of  the  circulation  of 
the  blood  ; it  lacks  power  to  repel  disease  and  all  de- 
structive agencies.  The  man  who  starts  out  in  the 
morning  without  his  breakfast  to  cross  the  Pontine 
marshes  near  Rome,  will  die  of  disease  in  a few 
days,  — of  some  form  of  malignant  fever.  He  who 
takes  a hearty  breakfast,  and  rides  through  without 
a halt,  will  suffer  no  harm.  Very  ignorant  people 
in  Rome  know  this,  although  they  may  not  be  able 
to  account  for  it  philosophically. 

When  food  is  taken  into  an  empty  stomach,  it  is 
said  to  “ stimulate  ” it;  that  is,  the  very  contact  of 
what  was  swallowed,  with  the  coats  of  the  stomach. 


18 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


excites  a greater,  a more  active  circulation  of  the 
blood,  and  in  a very  few  minutes  the  body  feels 
more  or  less  of  the  strengthening  influence  of  the 
nutriment  derived  from  the  food  ; hence  there  is 
increased  action  and  strength  all  through  the  sys- 
tem, which  has  the  effect  to  prevent  the  mischiev- 
ous ingredient  of  the  air  from  entering  the  circula- 
tion of  the  blood,  for  by  entering,  it  becomes  a 
cause  of  impurity,  of  stagnation,  of  poison,  and  of 
death. 

Men  have  been  able  to  discover  the  laws  of 
action  of  the  poisonous  ingredient  of  the  early 
morning  air  upon  the  debilitated  body  and  the 
unresisting  stomach  ; but  every  effort  has  hitherto 
failed  to  discover  any  of  the  physical  properties  of 
that  ingredient,  which  is  so  subtle  that  a bottle 
of  the  air  has  been  taken  and  analyzed  by  the  best 
chemical  tests  known,  and  the  air  so  taken  has  not 
been  found  to  contain  any  other  ingredient  than 
portions  of  air  of  the  healthiest  regions.  This 
proved,  not  that  there  was  not  an  additional  ele- 
ment in  this  disease-producing  morning  air,  but 
that  human  skill  and  ingenuity  could  not  detect  it ; 
at  the  same  time,  the  laws  of  its  action  were  deter- 
mined, and  also  the  agencies  by  which  that  action 
could  be  antagonized  with  uniformity  and  certainty, 
as  will  be  more  specially  detailed  in  treating  the 
subject  of  “ Miasm,”  in  subsequent  pages.  Here  it 
only  concerns  us  to  know  that  in  temperate  and 
tropical  latitudes  the  ill  effects  of  early  morning 
air  on  the  human  system  are  measurably  avoided 


BREAKFAST  IN  WINTER. 


19 


by  taking  an  early  breakfast,  warm  and  nourishing ; 
the  theory  being  that  food,  or  whatever  drink 
causes  a healthful  stimulus  or  stimulating  action  in 
the  stomach,  does,  at  the  same  time,  give  the  sys- 
tem power  to  resist  the  ill  effects  of  the  agencies  in 
question.  Thus  far  as  to  the  healthful  effects  of 
taking  an  early  breakfast  in  warm  weather  ; for  it 
will  be  seen  hereafter  that  the  malignant  ingredi- 
ent which  is  present  in  the  morning  air  in  warm 
weather,  is  wholly  absent  in  cold  weather,  unless 
in  circumscribed  localities,  as  within  houses  where 
a warmth  is  kept  up  sufficient  to  generate  the 
specific  poison  alluded  to. 

BREAKFAST  IN  WINTER. 

It  promotes  health  to  take  a good  warm,  nutri- 
tious breakfast  early  on  a winter’s  morning,  be- 
cause the  heating  material  taken  at  supper  has  been 
used  up  during  the  night ; and  if  not  early  supplied 
in  the  morning  by  more  food,  the  whole  body  is 
liable  to  cool  down  to  a chill,  which  may  produce 
inflammation  of  the  lungs,  and  death  within  five 
days.  Little  children  and  old  persons,  and  the 
feeble  of  every  age,  having  but  a small  surplus  of 
heat  in  winter,  are  especially  liable  to  inflammatory 
diseases  by  being  kept  too  long,  in  cold  weather, 
without  food.  From  supper  to  daylight  is  a long 
enough  interval  without  food,  except  to  the  robust, 
active,  and  vigorous ; and  even  these  latter  are  the 
safer  for  the  shorter  interval  which  the  early  winter 
breakfast  gives. 


20 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


Not  only  is  health  endangered  by  a late  winter 
morning’s  breakfast  allowing  the  system  to  cool  down 
to  a point  too  low  for  safety,  but  it  occasions  a loss 
of  time  in  getting  the  internal  heat  raised  to  the 
safe  and  healthful  standard  ; for  as  long  as  a person 
feels  cold  all  over,  no  work  either  of  brain  or  body 
can  be  performed  to  advantage.  But  the  shorter 
plan  is  for  any  person  of  intelligence  and  observa- 
tion to  test  the  fact  in  his  own  person  ; and  then, 
having  seen  the  demonstration  of  the  truth,  he  can 
never  be  in  doubt  again,  and  will  always  feel  forti- 
fied and  strengthened,  in  after  life,  in  having  the 
right  plan  carried  out  as  to  all  those  who  may  come 
within  his  control. 

But  it  is  an  economy  of  time  also,  to  take  an 
early  breakfast  in  all  seasons  ; for  then  the  first 
strokes  of  work  are  not  only  more  vigorous  and 
telling,  but  the  strength  of  the  system  is  not  allowed 
to  go  so  low,  to  become  so  used  up,  that  valuable 
time  is  lost  in  bringing  it  to  its  natural  and  health- 
ful standard  : all  of  which  can  be  put  to  the  test  of 
practical  experience  in  any  two  mornings,  by  such 
readers  as  want  to  know  things  for  themselves; 
for  few  indeed  are  the  learners  from  the  experience 
of  others,  and  in  a sense  it  may  be  said,  as  to 
matters  like  these,  that  we  know  only  what  we 
have  experienced  within  ourselves. 

THE  BEST  SUPPER  TIME 

is  demonstrably,  especially  in  warm  weather,  half 
an  hour  or  more  before  sundown ; not  as  a mere 


THE  BEST  SUPPER  TIME. 


21 


convenience,  nor  is  it  a far-fetched  theory : it  is  a 
necessity  in  the  very  nature  of  things,  if  we  wish 
to  avoid  a great  variety  of  diseases. 

First.  Whatever  elements  of  disease  are  found  in 
the  morning  air  in  warm  weather,  are  present  also 
in  the  air  about  sundown,  more  particularly  ex- 
plained under  the  article  about  “ Miasm.” 

Second.  If  supper  is  delayed  too  long,  the  work 
of  the  afternoon  has  so  exhausted  the  strength,  the 
power  to  work,  of  the  food  eaten  at  dinner,  that 
the  system  is  left  weak,  and  chilly,  and  cold,  while 
the  circulation  is  languid,  and  the  spirits  are  de- 
pressed, as  any  one  may  perceive  in  the  uniform 
dead  expression  which  pervades  the  countenance 
of  all  workers  when  they  reach  home  at  night,  and 
before  supper  has  been  taken.  Every  observant 
reader  has  repeatedly  noticed  two  things  : first, 
taking  a meal  increases  the  warmth  of  the  system, 
even  before  it  is  finished ; second,  it  is  attended 
with  an  enlivening  influence  on  the  mind,  and  heart, 
and  spirits  ; while  a third  fact  has  forced  itself  upon 
the  most  unobservant,  that,  during  a great  part  of 
the  year,  there  is  more  or  less  of  an  ugly  chilliness 
or  heavy  dampness  pervading  the  air  about  sun- 
down. These  three  facts,  therefore,  compel  us  to 
the  conclusion,  were  there  not  more  imperative 
reason , that  the  better  time  for  supper  is  a while 
before  sundown,  — better  for  the  head,  the  heart, 
and  the  body. 


22 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


DINNER  TIME 

should  be  at  noon,  as  to  the  great  masses  of  society. 
An  unfortunate  necessity  may  impel  some  business 
men  in  the  large  cities  to  take  dinners  late  in  the 
afternoon,  and  some  may  follow  the  practice  with 
apparent  impunity ; but  the  risk  and  responsibility 
are  their  own,  and  there  it  is  left,  at  least  for  the 
present.  As  a common  thing,  persons  cannot  take 
into  the  stomach  more  food  than  will  last  six  or 
seven  hours ; if  more  is  taken,  it  cannot  be  acted 
upon  to  advantage  by  the  stomach,  nor  can  the 
person  work  well.  Ordinary  labor  exhausts  the 
strength  contained  in  a common , meal  in  the  time 
specified.  Persons  may  habituate  themselves  to 
eat  more  and  to  work  more  ; but  taking  everything 
into  account,  families,  consisting  of  old  and  young, 
of  strong  and  weak,  of  the  robust  and  the  sickly, 
will  find  it  most  convenient,  as  an  average,  to  eat 
at  about  six  hours’  interval ; and  this,  with  an  early 
breakfast,  brings  the  dinner  at  noon.  The  work 
after  breakfast  whets  up  the  appetite  for  dinner ; 
the  work  after  dinner  grinds  up  the  food,  manipu- 
lates it  in  such  a manner  as  to  enable  the  body  not 
only  to  obtain  from  it  the  power  to  work  in  the 
afternoon,  but  to  give  something  of  a surplus,  to 
answer  the  wants  of  the  system  during  the  night, 
in  connection  with  a light  supper.  Hence,  the 
w'orld  over,  the  noon  dinner  is  the  great  meal  of 
the  day ; it  supplies  the  wastes  of  the  forenoon’s 
work,  and,  as  just  said,  gives  power  to  labor  through 
the  afternoon. 


LUNCHEON. 


23 


LUNCHEON 

has  had  no  place  in  these  pages ; it  is  the  common 
enemy  in  cities  and  large  towns,  for  it  engenders 
afflictive  diseases  in  many,  and  to  not  a few  it  is 
the  fruitful  cause  of  moral  and  social  ruin  and  a 
disgraceful  and  premature  death,  as  we  shall  see. 
The  word  means  a lump  of  food  eaten  at  not  a reg- 
ular meal.  It  is  an  eating  “ between  times  ; ” and 
as  this  is  the  main  and  most  frequent  cause  of  our 
national  disease,  “ Dyspepsia,”  called  at  other  times 
“ Indigestion,”  the  latter  being  from  a Latin  word, 
the  former  Greek,  it  is  well  to  give  the  whole  sub- 
ject a critical  investigation.  In  a chapter  answer- 
ing the  question  “ When  shall  we  eat  ? ” it  is  per- 
tinent to  consider  the  kindred  inquiry,  when  not 
to  eat.  All  know  that  the  body  as  a whole  cannot 
work  always,  must  have  rest ; so  every  portion  of 
it  must  have  rest.  It  does  not  require  much  effort 
to  wink  the  eye,  and  yet  it  becomes  tired  if  winked 
in  quick  succession  for  a minute  or  two. 

The  stomach  is  a combination  of  muscles,  hence 
it  is  called  an  organ  ; it  is  in  the  nature  of  a ma- 
chine, and  all  machines  wear  out  very  soon  unless 
rest  is  allowed.  The  work  which  the  stomach  per- 
forms is  to  prepare  the  food  for  yielding  its  warmth, 
growth,  strength,  and  repair  to  the  whole  body; 
a part  of  these  are  almost  instantaneously  with- 
drawn from  the  food  while  it  is  in  the  stomach  ; 
other  parts,  in  its  progress  through  other  portions  of 
the  body  downwards.  It  has  been  ascertained  that 


24 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


an  ordinary  meal  is  digested,  as  far  as  the  stomach 
is  concerned,  in  about  five  hours  ; at  the  end  of  that 
time  all  the  food  has  been  passed  out  of  it ; it  is 
empty,  and  in  a sense  goes  to  sleep,  but  not  for 
long,  for  in  an  hour  or  two  certain  vessels  con- 
nected witli  it  become  filled  with  a fluid,  and  their 
distention  causes  the  sensation  of  hunger,  and  we 
want  to  eat  again  ; no  sooner  is  this  done,  than 
these  vessels  which  caused  the  sensation  of  hunger, 
empty  their  contents  in  among  the  food,  dissolving 
it  and  preparing  it  for  yielding  its  nutriment  to  the 
system,  as  before  described. 

But  if  more  food  is  eaten  before  the  stomach  has 
been  emptied,  the  process  of  digestion  is  arrested 
as  to  the  food  which  was  first  taken,  and  does  not 
go  on  until  the  food  taken  later  has  been  brought 
to  tjhe  condition  in  which  the  first  was,  and  then 
all  goes  on  together. 

It  is,  however,  a law  of  our  nature,  that  if  the 
food  taken  into  the  stomach  remains  there  too  long, 
being  kept  as  it  is  at  a temperature  of  about  a 
hundred  degrees,  it  begins  to  sour,  just  as  any 
moist  food  would  begin  to  sour  if  kept  warm, 
neither  hot  nor  cold,  for  the  same  time  ; by  becom- 
ing sour,  this  food  rots,  is  unfit  to  give  nourishment 
and  strength,  and  hence  does  not  answer  its  legiti- 
mate purpose. 

Another  ill  result  is,  the  food  being  imperfectly 
digested,  it  gives  an  imperfect  nutriment ; and  as 
this  imperfect  nutriment  is  the  material  out  of 
which  new  blood  is  made,  that  blood  is  imperfect 


LUNCHEON. 


25 


and  impure;  but,  being  distributed  all  over  the 
body,  it  not  only  does  not  meet  the  requirements 
of  the  system,  but  causes  an  unnatural  sensation  or 
condition  of  things  wherever  it  goes,  more  particu- 
larly to  parts  which,  from  any  cause,  have  been 
injured  or  debilitated.  Hence  there  is  found  an 
easy  explanation  of  the  many  and  varied  complaints 
which  dyspeptics  have  ; scarcely  any  two  being 
alike  in  the  combination  of  their  symptoms ; all, 
however,  agreeing  in  one  thing,  that  they  are 
wretched,  that  life  is  a burden,  and  enjoyment  im- 
possible. 

This  subject  will  be  further  pursued  when  Dys- 
pepsia or  Indigestion  is  more  especially  treated,  the 
object  in  the  remarks  now  made  being  to  impress 
on  the  mind  the  necessarily  injurious  effects  of 
eating  between  meals,  for  the  obvious  reason,  the 
stomach  has  no  time  for  rest,  and  must,  like  the 
body  itself,  or  any  individual  portion  of  it,  if  kept 
constantly  at  work,  lose  its  power  of  working,  by 
being  “worn  out,  ” exhausted,  and  destroyed. 

“ EATING  DOWN-TOWN” 

is  a form  of  luncheon  which  business  men  adopt  in 
some  of  our  large  cities,  especially  in  New  York, 
from  apparent  compulsion,  it  being  considered  im- 
practicable to  leave  their  various  employments  in 
the  middle  of  the  day,  when  even  minutes  are 
sometimes  of  great  value,  for  the  purpose  of  dining 
with  their  families  up-town,  which  would  involve  a 
dear  loss  of  two  or  three  hours.  There  co  nld  be 


26 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


no  enjoyment  in  such  a meal,  because  there  would 
necessarily  be  an  impending  sense  of  hurry,  and 
more  of  uneasiness  and  anxiety  to  be  at  their  busi- 
ness places,  which  sensation  would  alone  be  a very 
important  power  in  generating  dyspepsia  of  the 
most  aggravated  kind  within  a few  months. 

But  the  tendency  of  down-town  luncheons  upon 
the  health  and  morals  of  all,  ought  .to  be  pointed 
out,  with  a view  to  impress  the  reader’s  mind  with 
the  importance  of  devising  some  remedy  for  evils 
so  great  and  so  inevitable.  Every  merchant  pro- 
poses to  himself  the  general  plan  of  “ taking  a 
snack,”  a “hasty  plate  of  soup,”  or  some  other 
form  of  light  repast  at  noon,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
stomach  becoming  too  empty,  or  the  system  from 
too  great  exhaustion  from  the  long  interval  between 
breakfast  and  the  regular  dinner  at  four  or  five 
o’clock,  or  later.  The  object  is  good,  and  the  phil- 
osophy of  it  is  founded  on  true  physiological  rea- 
sons ; but  the  manner  of  the  performance  makes  all 
the  difference  in  the  world.  In  the  first  place,  there 
is  no  regularity  in  the  lunch ; and  regularity,  order, 
is  Nature’s  first  law.  Every  business  man  will 
confess  that  the  emergencies  of  trade  and  traffic  are 
such  that  the  time  of  taking  lunch  varies  several 
hours,  and  sometimes  is  forgotten  altogether,  until 
it  is  too  late  to  take  one  without  interfering  with 
the  regular  dinner  in  the  afternoon.  There  is  no 
habit,  of  the  body,  no  function  of  any  organ,  which 
will  not  be  injuriously  affected,  if  not  destroyed,  by 
irregular  action  or  working.  All  know  the  value 


THE  INSIDIOUS  ENEMY. 


27 


of  regular  sleep  ; and  yet  cases  are  given  in  medicai 
works  where  persons  have  become  deranged  by 
continuously  broken  sleep,  or  have  fallen  into  such  a 
habit  of  wakefulness,  that  an  uneasy  sleep  of  three 
or  four  hours  was  all  that  could  be  had  in  any 
twenty-four.  Nature  can  never  be  baffled  with 
impunity.  Perhaps  no  other  one  thing  engenders 
so  many  and  such  a variety  of  diseases  as  constipa- 
tion of  the  bowels,  which  is  brought  on,  in  innu- 
merable cases,  by  the  person  resisting  the  calls  of 
nature,  for  the  sake  of  some  fancied  convenience  or 
some  unwisely  imagined  necessity.  If  this  is  done, 
even  for  a short  time,  Nature  seems  as  it  were  to 
become  indignant,  and  calls  no  more ; and  a habit 
is  set  up  which  will  make  the  subject  a martyr  to 
some  form  of  human  suffering  as  long  as  life  lasts. 
So  with  hunger  and  the  stomach ; if  the  sense  of 
hunger  is  resisted,  if  the  stomach  is  not  supplied 
with  food  at  stated  times,  it  loses  its  tone,  its  vigor, 
its  power  to  work,  and  dyspepsia  follows,  to  sour 
the  disposition,  to  irritate  the  temper,  to  depress 
the  spirits,  to  change  the  whole  moral  nature,  caus- 
ing unhappiness,  not  only  to  the  sufferer,  but  more 
or  less  to  all  those  who  may  have  to  meet  him  in 
business  or  in  domestic  life. 

THE  INSIDIOUS  ENEMY. 

Men  do  not  dine  down-town  long,  before  they 
get  into  the  habit  of  “ taking  something  ” at  their 
meals.  In  fact,  most  of  the  eating-houses  calculate 
to  make  as  much  in  the  way  of  profit  on  what 


28 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


their  customers  drink,  as  on  what  they  eat ; and 
boys,  and  clerks,  and  young  men,  very  soon  begin 
to  feel  that  it  looks  manly  to  call  for  something  at 
lunch.  They  think  it  adds  to  their  importance  in 
the  estimation  of  the  waiters  to  take  a glass  of 
wine,  or  beer,  or  other  drink  ; just  as  a little  ear- 
lier they  thought  it  “ manly”  to  smoke  a cigar,  or 
“ take  a chew.”  Men  often  invite  their  friends  to 
go  and  take  a lunch  with  them,  when  it  is  expected, 
as  a matter  of  course,  some  form  of  stimulant  will 
be  ordered;  this  is  sooner  or  later  reciprocated; 
and  thus,  the  man  who,  a while  ago,  had  taken  a 
glass  only  occasionally,  finds  himself  taking  it  every 
day  ; and  if  from  any  cause  he  does  not  get  it, 
there  is  a disagreeable  sensation  of  wanting  some- 
thing, and  this  is  not  appeased  until  the  accustomed 
glass  is  supplied  ; and  this  is  the  beginning  of  the 
end,  the  miserable  end,  of  filling  a drunkard’s  grave, 
leaving  a ruined  estate,  a broken-hearted  wife  and 
children  in  want,  in  destitution,  and  in  despera- 
tion, and  too  often  soon  ready,  in  their  recklessness, 
to  do  and  dare  anything.  Very  many  cases  have 
occurred  in  New  York  city,  of  gentlemen  who 
once  would  have  been  shocked  to  have  had  a 
brandy  bottle  beside  them  at  their  own  table,  in 
the  presence  of  wife  and  children,  yet  in  a very 
short  time  have  gradually  fallen  into  the  habit,  at 
down-town  lunch,  of  having  a glass  of  ale,  or  beer 
or  wine,  ending  in  clear  brandy. 


WALL  STREET  SENSIBILITY. 


29 


WALL  STREET  SENSIBILITY. 

It  is  said  that  Wall  Street  is  the  most  sensitive 
Bpot  on  the  globe.  That  is,  it  sees,  on  the  instant, 
what  effect  national  occurrences,  at  home  or  abroad, 
tend  to  have  on  monetary  affairs ; so  alive  are  men, 
and  so  acute,  in  seeing  what  is  to  their  own  interest. 
Capital  is  careful ; and  it  may  surprise  the  reader 
very  much  to  know  that  the  practice  of  drinking 
liquor  in  connection  with  lunch  has  become  so  gen- 
eral in  New  York  with  young  men,  and  clerks,  and 
others  in  subordinate  positions,  and  the  ill  effects 
are  so  apparent,  that  quite  a number  of  the  largest 
banks  in  and  about  Wall  Street  have  for  more  than 
a year  been  in  the  habit  of  having  substantial 
lunches  spread  in  their  own  buildings,  under  the 
very  eyes  of  the  more  responsible  bank  officers,  so 
that  their  business  may  not  suffer  from  their  clerks 
indulging  in  liquor  with  their  lunch.  And  if 
moneyed  men,  for  pecuniary  considerations,  expend 
large  amounts  every  year  to  guard  against  the 
evils  referred  to,  it  is  very  certain  that  the  neces- 
sity for  it  has  been  forced  upon  their  attention  by 
incontrovertible  facts.  And  it  is  high  time  for 
parents  and  guardians,  and  even  sisters  and  wives, 
to  consider  whether  they  have  not  a more  than  pe- 
cuniary interest  in  devising  measures  to  counteract 
die  mischief  of  dining  down- town  as  to  the  male 
members  of  their  households. 

A physiological  fact  which  will  not  be  denied,  is 
that  neither  body  nor  brain  is  in  a condition  for 


80 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


effort  longer  than  six  or  seven  hours  after  eating, 
and  that  to  eat  nothing  from  breakfast  until  five  or 
six  o’clock  in  the  afternoon  will  certainly  bring  on 
serious,  incurable,  and  even  fatal  diseases  in  a very 
short  time.  Two  practical  questions  must  then  be 
determined.  Is  it  necessary  to  be  absent  from 
home  on  business  from  morning  until  night  ? This 
question  must  be  decided  on  the  responsibility  of 
the  individual  most  interested.  If  it  is  necessary, 
as  it  is  undeniably  hurtful  to  study  or  work  so  long 
without  food, 

WHAT  SHALL  A MAN  DO 

who  must  be  in  business,  and  who  has  a family  to 
support  by  that  business  ? He  must  either  have  a 
regular  dinner  at  noon,  and  a light  supper  with  his 
family  when  they  take  their  five  o’clock  dinner,  or  he 
must  take  a safe  lunch  at  noon,  take  a regular  din- 
ner with  his  family  not  later  than  five,  and  nothing 
whatever  besides,  either  eatable  or  drinkable,  until 
breakfast  next  morning.  But  this  is  not  enough ; 
with  this  alone  the  constitution  will  most  assuredly 
be  undermined,  sooner  or  later.  The  disposition  of 
the  time  after  a five  o’clock  dinner  must  be  adapted 
to  the  circumstances.  Something  must  be  done 
which  will  promote  the  healthful  digestion  of  din- 
ner ; and  something  can  be  done  which  is  not  only 
physically  healthful  and  pleasurable,  but  which,  if 
persisted  in,  will  greatly  promote  social  enjoyment 
and  domestic  happiness.  It  should  be  arranged 
that  dinner  should  be  over  at  not  a later  hour  than 


WHAT  SHALL  A MAN  DO. 


31 


six  o’clock,  winter  and  summer.  The  first  half- 
hour  after  dinner  should  be  spent  in  pleasurable 
conversation,  in  leisure  promenading,  or  sitting  in 
an  easy,  erect  position,  reading  something  which 
requires  no  continuous  thought,  such  as  the  short 
articles  of  a newspaper.  The  better  plan  is  a leis- 
ure promenade  in  the  open  air  in  suitable  weather, 
or  in  the  verandas  or  halls  of  the  house,  or  in  some 
large,  well  aired  room,  warm  enough  to  give  a feel- 
ing of  comfort ; for  it  is  greatly  injurious  to  have  a 
feeling  of  chilliness  within  an  hour  after  eating,  as 
it  has  sometimes  induced  fatal  consequences  in  a 
few  hours.  But  besides  this,  some  more  active  ex- 
ercise ought  to  be  had  before  bed-time.  A “ drive  ” 
answers  a good  purpose ; a ride  on  horseback  is 
much  better ; and  perhaps  better  than  all,  as  more 
frequently  available,  is  an  hour’s  visit  to  a friend  or 
neighbor’s  family.  Such  a visit,  properly  conduct- 
ed, has  a larger  number  of  great  advantages  than 
any  of  the  forms  of  after-dinner  pastime  named. 
The  rather  dull  routine  of  family  employment  is 
pleasurably  interrupted  by  a social  visit.  There  is 
an  exhilaration  in  the  exchange  of  items  of  news, 
of  neighborhood  gossip,  and  the  comparison  and 
expression  of  views  in  reference  to  practical  life, 
which  is  in  itself  both  interesting  and  useful.  Many 
a family  jar  has  been  interrupted  by  the  casual 
dropping  in  of  a lively,  talkative,  and  cheerful- 
faced neighbor ; and  their  departure  allows  subjects 
of  conversation  or  remark,  which  often  obliterate 
nascent  acerbities,  and  the  memory  of  ruffled  feel 


32 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


ings.  Families  would  be  happier,  neighborhoods 
would  be  happier,  and  society  in  general  would  be 
elevated,  and  refined,  and  humanized,  if  such  inter- 
change of  visits  were  cultivated  and  practiced  to 
ten  times  the  extent  now  customary.  Many  a time 
a neighbor’s  burden  is  removed  by  the  hearing  of 
greater  ones  which  press  upon  others,  or  are  made 
to  appear  scarcely  worth  a notice,  by  having  another 
look  at  it  from  a different  stand-point ; and  thus 
a blessing  at  least  is  made  of  what  but  half  a mo- 
ment before,  in  a soured  or  irritated  state  of  mind, 
seemed  an  oppressive  calamity.  The  very  walk  to 
and  from  a neighbor’s  after  tea  is  refreshing ; it  has 
given  that  much  more  luscious  out-door  air  to  the 
system,  and  every  step  has  added  an  increased  ac- 
tivity to  the  circulation,  and  given  additional  elas- 
ticity to  the  mind,  to  the  spirits,  and  to  the  domestic 
relations  and  affections.  It  often  happens  that  going 
to  a friend’s  house  leaves  us  more  contented  and 
thankful  at  our  own  lot,  in  comparison  with  what 
was  seen  at  our  neighbor’s,  and  we  return  to  our 
own  home  better  satisfied  with  it  than  when  we  left 
it  an  hour  or  two  before  ; or  something  may  be 
seen  at  that  neighbor’s  table,  or  in  the  parlor,  or 
something  observed  in  the  general  surroundings, 
which,  added  to  our  own  home,  would  increase  its 
coziness  or  make  it  more  convenient  or  attractive. 
An  item  about  cookery  may  be  learned,  or  the 
management  of  servants,  or  the  regulation  of  the 
family,  or  the  preparation  or  arrangement  of  cloth- 
ing, from  which  both  comfort  and  profit  may  be 


WHAT  SHALL  A MAN  DO. 


33 


derived  for  the  remainder  of  life ; and,  not  least,  a 
very  large  fund  of  quiet  enjoyment  may  be  had  in 
* the  promotion  of  neighborly  feeling,  by  making  it  a 
point  to  repeat  all  the  good  things  and  complimen- 
tary things  which  have  been  dropped  by  lips  away, 
in  reference  to  those  now  spoken  to.  By  this  same 
thing,  little,  insignificant  as  it  may  seem,  and  so 
easy  of  performance,  a very  large  amount  of  kindly 
feeling  may  be  encouraged  and  diffused  in  neighbor- 
hoods, which  would  largely  add  to  the  general  en- 
joyment, by  promoting  a mutual  appreciativeness 
among  the  members  of  a community,  the  tendency 
of  which  is  to  cement  friendships,  and  kindle  and 
cultivate  attachments  and  mutual  kindly  feelings, 
which  will  last  through  a long  life,  and  be  the 
means  sometimes  of  hereditary  friendships,  which 
are  to  be  a source  of  happiness  to  generations  yet 
unborn  ; for,  let  it  be  remembered,  we  are  social 
beings  by  nature,  and  the  cultivation  of  such  a 
natural  quality  will  necessarily  bring  with  it  a large 
increase  to  human  happiness  and  human  good. 

These  things  are  recommended  as  a necessary 
means  of  promoting  a more  active  and  healthful 
digestion  of  the  last  meal  of  the  day ; of  antagoniz- 
ing the  evil  effects  which  will  inevitably  result  to 
all,  sooner  or  later,  of  that  tardy  dinner  which  is 
felt  by  many  to  be  imperative  in  connection  with 
"ertain  business  customs  in  some  of  our  large  cities. 

A man  may  eat  a hearty  dinner  at  five  or  six 
o’clock,  and  remain  in-doors  until  bed-time,  under 
the  plea  of  being  too  tired  or  too  sleepy  to  take  a 
3 


34 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


walk  ; but,  if  it  is  not  done,  evil,  unmitigated  evil, 
will  be  the  result  sooner  or  later,  and  life  will  be 
cut  short  a score  of  years.  Even  a half-hour’s  walk 
up  and  down  the  street,  or  along  the  public  high- 
way, with  a wife,  or  sister,  or  daughter,  or  guest  on 
a man’s  arm,  after  a late  dinner,  will  bring  a high 
advantage,  will  promote  a better  digestion,  will  pro- 
cure a sounder  sleep,  and  will  do  very  much  towards 
removing,  or  at  least  alleviating,  that  sense  of  full- 
ness, or  oppression,  or  smothering,  which  so  many 
have  experienced  after  eating  a too  hearty  meal. 

CURE  OF  A SURFEIT. 

And  if,  when  an  excess  at  dinner  has  been  com- 
mitted through  inadvertency  or  the  solicitation  of 
over-kind  hosts,  or  as  complimentary  to  an  accom- 
plished hostess  (for  a woman  feels  complimented  in 
the  direct  ratio  of  the  heartiness  of  her  guest’s  ap- 
petite, and  the  amount  of  her  provender  which  he 
disposes  of ) ; if,  it  is  repeated,  from  these  or  other 
causes,  too  much  has  been  eaten  at  a meal,  and  a 
sense  of  “ fullness,”  as  it  is  most  frequently  desig- 
nated, is  experienced,  — it  is  most  unwise  to  attempt 
to  relieve  a stomach  already  too  full,  by  forcing  into 
it  one  glass  more  of  any  fluid  whatever,  even  al- 
though it  be  the  choicest  wine  or  the  purest  brandy 
ever  prepared  for  man’s  destruction.  Let  it  be  re- 
membered, on  this  almost  every-day  practical  point, 
that  the  feeling  of  fullness  or  other  discomfort  from 
over-eating  arises  from  the  fact  that  the  stomach 
is  too  much  distended  to  be  able  to  act  upon  tha 


CURING  A SURFEIT. 


35 


food,  so  as  to  put  it  in  a condition  to  be  passed 
out  of  itself ; and  a glass  of  wine  or  brandy,  or 
even  of  cold  water,  aggravates  the  evil  by  increas- 
ing the  fullness.  The  rational  method  of  relief 
is  to  do  something:  which  aids  the  stomach  in  its 
natural  action,  and  by  which  it  will,  in  as  speedy  a 
manner  as  possible,  relieve  itself  of  a portion  of  its 
contents  ; and  nothing  so  certainly  and  so  safely  in- 
sures such  a result  as  a moderate  walk,  just  active 
enough  to  prevent  a feeling  of  chilliness  and  to  se- 
cure a very  gentle  glow  on  the  surface,  or  the  slight- 
est perceptible  moisture,  felt  by  the  hand  being 
placed  on  the  forehead.  A violent  walk,  a race,  or 
a horseback  ride,  on  a full  stomach,  aggravates  the 
evil  with  perfect  certainty ; but  a leisure  walk, 
causing  a little,  a very  little  moisture  on  the  skin, 
and  kept  up  until  the  feeling  of  relief  is  very  de- 
cided, is  the  only  philosophical  method  of  getting 
rid  of  a surfeit.  Medicines  can  be  given  which  will 
accomplish  the  object  in  a very  few  minutes  ; an 
emetic  will  empty  the  stomach  in  double-quick  time. 
A good  dose  of  castor-oil  will  send  the  engorgement 
in  another  direction  with  railroad  speed,  but  at  the 
expense  of  a shock  to  the  system  which  sometimes 
induces  convulsions  and  death  in  a few  hours,  or 
leaves  debilitating  consequences,  not  to  be  recov- 
ered from,  in  some  cases,  for  many  weeks.  Besides 
all  this,  medicine,  even  the  mildest,  is  essentially  a 
poison,  and  effects  a desired  result  in  proportion  to 
its  poisonous  quality.  It  cures  by  setting  up  a dis- 
ease greater  than  the  original  which  it  seeks  to 


36 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


cure,  and  hence  ought  to  be  resorted  to  only  when, 
in  the  judgment  of  a competent  physician,  it  is  ne- 
cessary ; hence  the  earnestness  with  which  it  is 
urged  to  use  the  safe,  and  mild,  and  certain  means 
of  a leisure  out-door  walk,  or  other  form  of  gentle 
exercise,  for  an  hour  or  so  after  a late  dinner,  as  a 
means  of  enabling  the  stomach  to  empty  itself,  and 
be  at  rest,  by  the  time  the  body,  as  to  all  other 
parts,  is  ready  to  take  its  repose  on  the  couch  for 
the  night,  and  thus  secure  a sleep  which  has  in  it 
no  startling  dreams,  no  dreadful  nightmares. 

HOW  WALKING  PROMOTES  HEALTH. 

Physiologists  have  ascertained  that  every  step 
taken  has  an  appreciable  effect  in  promoting  the 
activities  of  the  whole  alimentary  canal,  including 
the  stomach  and  bowels.  Their  natural  activity  is 
health ; their  want  of  that  is  disease  always,  every- 
where, and  inevitably.  Too  great  an  activity  of 
stomach  and  bowels  is  cholera,  and  all  know  that 
locomotion  in  the  first  stages  of  cholera  is  certain 
death  ; hence  absolute  rest  on  the  bed  is  enjoined 
by  all  classes  of  physicians,  because  every  step  in- 
creases the  activity.  If,  then,  walking  promotes  a 
more  active  state  of  the  bowels,  when  the  condition 
of  the  system  is  such  as  to  require  increased  activ- 
ity, every  step  taken  is  to  that  end.  Hence  every 
step  taken  leisurely  after  a meal  has  been  eaten, 
helps  the  stomach  to  digest  the  food  eaten  more 
rapidly,  thus  preparing  it  for  a more  speedy  distri- 
bution throughout  the  system,  for  purposes  of  nu- 
trition* warmth,  strength,  and  vitality. 


A CHEERFUL  HEART. 


37 


But  there  is  another  reason  why  a leisure  walk 
or  friendly  visit  to  a neighbor  is  healthful,  in  con 
nection  with  a late  dinner.  It  relieves  the  system 
of  a portion  of  its  solid  material  in  the  shape  of  in- 
sensible perspiration,  and  the  overfilled  stomach 
participates  in  that  relief.  An  effort  has  been  made 
to  show  how  gentle  exercise  benefits  the  body  after 
a late  dinner,  or  after  any  hearty  meal  ; but  any 
one  may  demonstrate  it  in  his  own  person  by  com- 
paring the  sensations  of  two  consecutive  days  at  ten 
o’clock  at  night,  or  on  the  subsequent  mornings, 
when  a hearty  late  dinner  has  been  taken,  with 
such  a walk  following  as  has  been  recommended, 
and  an  equally  hearty  dinner  without  such  a walk. 

A CHEERFUL  MIND. 

Whatever  may  be  the  benefit  of  a leisure  walk 
after  a hearty  meal,  that  benefit  is  very  greatly  in- 
tensified by  performing  that  walk  in  company,  es- 
pecially if  a joyousness  of  spirit  is  present,  and  is 
promoted  by  lively,  exhilarating  conversation,  by 
mirthfulness,  and  a hearty  forgetfulness  of  all  dis- 
turbing thought  as  to  business  engagements.  It 
may  be  safe  to  say  that  the  benefit  of  exercise  is 
doubled  by  its  being  taken  in  a jovial,  joyous 
mood. 

If  several  hours  after  a late  dinner  were  every 
day,  as  often  as  a late  dinner  is  taken,  spent  as  above, 
alternated  with  attendance  on  public  meetings,  lec- 
tures, parlor  amusements,  and  other  forms  of  agree- 
able pastime,  late  dinners  may  be  made  compatible 


38 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


with  good  health  and  a genial  old  age,  if  wisdom 
and  firmness  are  habitually  shown  in  taking  at  noon 

A PROPER  LUNCH, 

suitable  for  all  classes  of  business  men,  travellers, 
sportsmen,  and  others  who  cannot  conveniently  take 
dinner  at  noon,  which  is  simply  a 44  sandwich,”  with 
half  a glass  of  water  and  an  orange,  or  an  apple. 
The  term  just  used  was  applied  to  a favorite  dish  of 
the  Earl  of  Sandwich,  which  was  originally  two 
pieces  of  bread  and  butter,  with  very  thin  slices  of 
ham  or  other  salt  meat  between  them.  It  is  well  to 
state  how  a sandwich  may  be  best  prepared,  as  it 
comes  in  place  under  a great  variety  of  circum- 
stances, and  may  be  made  delicious  if  proper  atten- 
tion is  given  to  its  making  up.  If  this  is  done, 
it  is  good  enough  for  a king,  and  will  be  very  much 
relished  by  any  one  who  has  been  employed  five  or 
six  hours  in  labor  or  brain  work. 

A DELIGHTFUL  SANDWICH 

is  made  thus  : Take  two  pieces  of  light  bread, 

spread  with  butter.  Between  these  place  very  thin 
slices — three  or  four  of  them  are  better  than  one 
thick  one  — of  salt  or  fresh  meat,  turkey,  or  chicken, 
or  a slice  of  each.  If  the  sandwiches  are  for  a 
party  or  for  the  table,  several  should  be  prepared 
and  put  in  a pile.  Press  them  with  a clean  board, 
so  as  to  make  them  stick  together,  and  trim  the 
edges  neatly  with  a very  sharp  knife.  Wrap  them 
firmly  in  a white,  damp  cloth,  and  put  them  in  the 


SANDWICHES. 


39 


picnic  basket,  where  they  will  remain  without  jos- 
tling ; or,  if  for  the  table,  put  them  on  a plate  and 
cover  with  a damp  napkin,  until  used.  But,  for 
one  person,  two  ordinary  pieces  of  bread  and  but 
ter  and  several  very  thin  slices  of  meat  are  enough  ; 
for  it  is  not  intended  to  be  a full  meal,  but  only 
enough  to  stay  the  appetite,  so  as  to  prevent  the 
strength  from  going  too  low,  and  the  appetite  from 
becoming  voracious. 

To  take  this  sandwich  lunch  with  really  benefi- 
cial and  healthful  results,  it  should  be  eaten  about 
noon  at  some  regular  hour ; not  to  make  one’s  self  a 
slave  to  the  minute,  but  aim  to  have  it  within  any 
hour,  say  from  twelve  to  one,  not  sooner  than 
twelve,  nor  later  than  one  : this  gives  the  business 
man  the  margin  of  an  hour.  It  should  be  taken  in 
an  apartment  alone,  so  as  to  be  free  from  interrup- 
tion or  mental  distraction,  so  that  it  can  be  eaten 
leisurely,  quietly,  and  with  deliberation ; then  it 
will  be  thoroughly  chewed,  and  will  pass  into  the 
stomach  without  haste. 

It  may  appear  to  be  a small  matter,  but  it  is  not, 
to  insist  that  the  lunch  should,  be  taken  in  a private 
apartment,  where  no  one  can  intrude.  A gentle- 
man would  scarcely  care  to  have  a friend,  or  cus- 
tomer, or  client,  or  patient  come  bolting  into  his 
office  to  find  him  eating  a piece  of  bread  and  meat, 
or  be  compelled,  in  his  haste,  to  cover  it  over  with 
a paper,  or  slide  it  hastily  in  a drawer,  and  feel  as 
if  he  had  been  doing  some  little,  mean  thing ; any 
interruption  of  this  kind  would  inevitably  occasion 


40 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


a mental  perturbation  or  flutter,  exceedingly  un* 
friendly  to  a healthful  digestion.  It  is  at  all  times 
of  considerable  importance  that  we  should  eat  with 
quiet  deliberation,  or  with  an  exhilaration  of  spirits, 
so  as  to  keep  all  the  fluids  of  the  system  in  health- 
ful activity.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  the  mind  is 
flurried  or  the  lunch  is  taken  hastily,  the  result  is 
the  same ; the  nervous  energy  which  ought  to  have 
been  expended  on  the  food  is  used  up  in  the  brain, 
in  the  mental  activities,  and  the  food  is  not  digested; 
it  remains,  in  a measure,  unaltered  for  hours.  The 
regular  dinner  comes  on  ; we  do  not  feel  hungry, 
for  the  very  good  reason  that  there  is  food  already 
in  the  stomach ; but  as  it  is  dinner  hour  we  think 
we  must  eat  anyhow,  that  it  would  be  too  long  to 
wait  until  next  morning ; and  we  do  eat  the  dinner, 
mixing  fresh  food  with  what  is  in  part  in  a state 
of  decay,  of  chemical  decomposition,  or,  in  plainer 
terms,  in  a state  of  rottenness,  — when  there  can 
possibly  be  no  other  result  than  a most  unpleasant 
feeling  of  fullness,  or  oppression,  or  nausea,  to  be 
followed  by  a night  of  dreams,  of  unrefreshing 
sleep,  and  a “ miserable  ” to-morrow,  with  entire 
unfitness  for  business ; it  is  even  followed,  and  that 
not  uncommonly,  by  an  attack  of  cholera  morbus, 
of  bilious  colic,  or  fatal  apoplexy.  Such  results  may 
sometimes  be  a year  or  two,  or  more,  in  coming ; 
but  that  they  will  come  sooner  or  later  to  us,  and 
are  coming  to  those  we  know,  at  no  long  inter- 
vals, is  as  certain  as  any  uncompleted  event  can  be, 
for  Nature  will,  at  length,  always  assert  herself  in 


THE  FATAL  GLASS  OF  WATER. 


41 


matters  of  this  kind.  These  may  be  considered 
trifling  things  by  some,  but  life  and  death  often 
hang  on  trivialities  such  as  these. 

THE  FATAL  GLASS  OF  WATER. 

A brave  French  general,  overheated  in  having 
some  artillery  drawn  up  to  the  top  of  a mountain, 
felt  himself  almost  overcome  with  thirst,  and 
greedily  drinking  freely  of  snow  water,  fell  down 
and  died  instantly.  Had  he  taken  but  a swallow  or 
two  at  a time,  at  an  interval  of  half  a minute  or  so, 
no  harm  could  have  possibly  resulted ; and  yet 
here  was  a valuable  life  lost  by  drinking  a few  table- 
spoonfuls of  cold  water  in  one  minute  instead  of 
ten.  So  the  manner  in  which  a sandwich  is  eaten 
may  be  made  agreeable  and  healthful,  or  be  made 
a cause  of  considerable  discomfort,  according  to  cir- 
cumstances. 


THE  REASON  WHY 

the  lunch  described,  taken  in  the  manner  pro- 
posed, will  result  healthfully  in  several  ways,  ac- 
cords with  fixed  physiological  laws.  It  has  been 
said  that  no  man  can  work  hard,  in  brain  or  body, 
with  advantage  and  without  harmful  results,  longer 
than  six  or  seven  hours.  If  the  lunch  is  taken  in 
five  or  six  hours  after  breakfast,  it  finds  the  stomach 
empty  and  prepared  to  receive  it ; in  fact,  the  man 
is  hungry  ; the  general  system,  by  its  own  instinct, 
has  sent  a telegram  to  the  stomach,  that  recruits 
are  needed  at  the  outposts,  recruits  of  new  atoms 


42 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


of  matter  to  take  the  place  of  those  which  have 
been  destroyed  or  used  up  within  the  last  six  hours, 
for  that  is  the  meaning  of  the  sensation  of  hunger. 
The  perfection  of  nutrition  is  hunger  first,  a small 
amount  of  plain,  substantial  food  next ; then  follows 
the  third  process,  — a healthful  digestion,  and  a per- 
fect blood,  carrying  life  and  strength  to  every  part 
of  the  body.  Such  a meal  in  the  middle  of  the 
day  is  much  more  healthful  than  a full  meal, 
when  it  has  to  be  followed  by  more  work.  A 
clergyman  will  always  preach  better  with  one 
sandwich  between  his  sermons  than  when  he  sits 
down  to  roast  turkey  with  concomitant  tempters  ; 
because,  in  the  latter  case,  the  nervous  energy 
which  is  necessary  to  the  digestion  of  a hearty 
meal  rallies  around  the  stomach,  draining  the  brain 
of  its  forces.  In  the  case  of  the  laborer,  he  cannot 
work  to  advantage  soon  after  a hearty  meal,  for  the 
necessities  of  the  stomach  compel  the  nervous 
energies  from  the  muscles  of  arm  and  limb  and 
chest ; and  it  is  well  that  it  is  so  by  a fixed  physio- 
logical law,  for  if  the  nervous  power  is  withdrawn 
from  the  stomach  soon  after  a hearty  meal,  life  is 
endangered  by  convulsions,  which  will  inevitably 
result  if  the  power  is  kept  away  but  for  a few 
hours.  Hence,  by  taking  a moderate  lunch  at  noon 
the  stomach  takes  hold  of  the  small  amount  of  food 
greedily  and  easily,  and  manipulates  it  for  the  re- 
quirements of  the  system,  which  is  at  once  ready 
to  resume  its  accustomed  labor.  Gentlemen  who 
have  travelled  much  on  horseback,  day  after  day 


DOWN-TOWN  DINNERS. 


4S 


continuously,  know  full  well  that  but  a moderate 
amount  of  food  must  be  given  at  noon  to  the  noble 
animal ; the  heaviest  meal  is  given  to  him  after  he 
has  rested  at  night,  or  in  the  morning.  A man 
like  the  horse  could  very  easily  eat  a great  deal 
more  at  midday,  but  the  horse  is  allowanced  ju- 
diciously by  his  master ; and  the  man  can  more 
readily  allowance  himself  by  taking  with  him  a 
specific  or  measured  amount.  The  effect  of  this 
moderate  meal  is  that  it  is  wholly  digested,  that 
good  and  healthful  blood  is  made  out  of  it,  and  it 
stays  the  hunger  of  the  system,  and  prevents  that 
ravenous  appetite  which  is  the  result  of  a dinner 
too  long  protracted.  Thus  when  a lunch  is  taken 
at  noon,  strength  is  derived  from  it  to  last  until 
dinner,  while  dinner  itself  is  not  partaken  of  rav- 
enously ; consequently  it  is  partaken  of  leisurely, 
moderately,  and  time  and  opportunity  are  afforded 
for  its  easy  digestion  before  the  hour  for  retiring. 

It  is,  then,  not  a late  dinner  which  is  in  and  of 
itself  so  pernicious,  — not  pernicious  at  all  if  the 
circumstances  connected  with  it  are  judiciously 
arranged.  What  has  made 

LATE  DINNERS 

the  deadly  things  they  are  is  their  connection 
with  a lunch,  which  is  of  itself  a full  dinner,  and 
made  more  tempting  and  more  excessive  by  the 
liquors  which  are  used  with  them  and  the  high 
seasonings  which  make  a part  of  them.  After 
this  full  lunch,  too  often  hasty,  and  taken  with  a 


44 


WHEN  TO  EAT. 


perturbed  state  of  mind,  men  dive  again  into  theil 
business,  with  every  nerve  strung  to  its  highest  ten- 
sion, leaving  the  food  to  digest  very  slowly ; in  fact, 
so  slow  is  the  process  that  by  the  late  dinner  hour 
it  has  not  yet  been  passed  to  the  other  parts  of  the 
system  ; and  the  man  allowing  himself  to  be  under 
the  hallucination  that  he  has  not  taken  dinner,  but 
only  lunch,  feels  late  in  the  afternoon  that  he  must 
take  his  dinner,  and  forces  it  upon  himself,  or  by 
strong  potations  gets  up  a fictitious  appetite,  which 
he  gratifies  to  the  full,  and  to  his  own  certain  un- 
doing,— because  he  is  not  only  taking  a late  dinner, 
but  an  early  one  too,  which  is  more  than  one  stom- 
ach can  manage,  and  disease  in  some  form  or  other, 
painful  and  protracted,  is  an  inevitable  result.  It 
is  thus  seen  that  neither  are  lunches  nor  late  dinners, 
in  and  of  themselves,  the  murderous  things  they 
are  represented  to  be,  but  are  made  so  by  a confu- 
sion of  ideas,  and  by  the  circumstances  which  are 
connected  with  them.  Man  is  an  adaptable  ani- 
mal, intended  to  live  in  all  latitudes  and  in  all 
climes,  to  be  surrounded  by  a great  variety  of 
changing  circumstances  ; and  he  can  live  health- 
fully and  long  under  the  equator  or  at  the  poles, 
if  he  will  only  conduct  himself  in  wise  accordance 
with  his  surroundings. 


CHAPTER  III. 


WHAT  TO  EAT. 

It  has  been  already  seen  that  the  object  of  eating 
is  to  give  warmth,  growth,  repair,  and  strength  to 
the  body,  which  things  are  to  be  derived  from  what 
is  eaten,  from  what  is  taken  into  the  stomach  as 
food,  and  whatever  gives  the  tilings  just  named  is 
comprehended  under  the  one  word  “ nutrition  : ” 
whether  the  food  eaten  gives  one,  or  two,  or  all  of 
the  things  named,  that  kind  of  food  is  called  nutri- 
tious. All  food  gives  to  the  body  one  or  more  of 
three  things  : carbon  to  warm,  albuminates  to  give 
flesh  or  strength,  and  salts  to  make  the  carbon  and 
albuminates  impart  nutrition.  Whatever  then  can 
be  gratefully  or  pleasurably  taken  into  the  stomach, 
and  which,  when  there,  can  be  so  managed  as  to 
impart  nourishment  to  the  system  in  a healthful 
manner,  should  come  under  the  designation  of  food, 
and  may  be  eaten.  Hence,  in  answer  to  the  ques- 
tion, What  shall  we  eat  ? it  may  be  taken  for 
reply,  “ We  may  eat  whatever  we  have  an  appe- 
tite or  taste  for,  which  is  capable  of  nourishing 
the  body,  of  affording  it  warmth  and  strength  in 
a healthful  manner,  that  is,  in  a way  which  is  not 
attended  with  any  ill  results.”  Brandy  and  other 
liquors  give  warmth,  for  they  contain  a large 


46 


WHAT  TO  EAT. 


amount  of  carbon  ; and  they  give  strength,  but  it  is 
a strength  without  foundation  ; it  really  only  enables 
us  to  appropriate  from  the  body  a part  of  its  store 
of  strength  in  advance.  In  one  sense  it  is  a pay- 
ing or  using  the  income  before  it  is  due  ; in  another 
sense  it  is  a living  upon  the  principal.  With  a 
greater  evil  still,  it  leaves  behind  it  injurious  re- 
sults : proportioned  to  the  amount  taken,  it  leaves 
debility  ; in  other  words,  it  went  in  debt  and  the 
debt  has  to  be  paid.  Debility  is  not  the  only  ill 
result ; if  its  use  is  persisted  in,  actual  disease  is 
generated  in  various  parts  of  the  system,  which 
either  mars  life  and  life’s  pleasures,  or  destroys  it 
prematurely,  according  to  the  amount  and  fre- 
quency of,  its  \ise.  Hence  liquors  cannot  be  con- 
sidered food,  because  they  do  not  impart  the  ele- 
ments of  food  without  attendant  ill  consequences. 
We  may  then  eat  of  what  gives  us  nourishment 
healthfully,  and  against  the  use  of  which  as  food 
there  is  no  just  restriction.  Men  can  live  on  men  ; 
men  can  live  on  horses,  or  mules,  or  other  animals, 
but  restrictions  are  imposed  which  all  good  men 
will  respect. 


APPETITE. 

We  may  eat  what  is  nourishing,  and  if  there  is 
an  appetite,  a taste  for  it,  it  will  do  more  good  than 
if  taken  with  repugnance ; it  is  more  easily  digested 
and  prepared  for  imparting  nourishment  and  life  to 
the  body. 

There  are  some  things  for  which  we  seem  to 


APPETITE. 


4" 


have  a natural  appetite.  The  infant  loves  milk 
the  first  day  of  its  existence  ; the  various  prepara- 
tions of  bread  and  eggs  and  fish  seem  to  be  eaten 
with  a relish  by  all  nations ; so  are  the  fruits  of 
the  earth  ; but  men,  and  animals  also,  can  be  edu- 
cated to  eat,  and  eat  with  a relish,  what  once 
there  was  a decided  aversion  to  even  taste.  Hence 
there  is  a natural  appetite  and  an  educated  appe- 
tite ; the  latter  is  liable  to  be  the  cause  of  great 
mischief,  as  when  persons  learn  to  use  tobacco,  eat 
slate  pencils,  and  the  like.  It  would  not,  therefore, 
be  correct  to  say  that  we  should  eat  whatever  there 
is  an  appetite  for.  The  general  statement  sim- 
ply is  made,  that  we  should  eat  what  imparts 
healthful  nutriment  to  the  body.  This  is  intended 
to  apply  to  those  who  are  well,  — who  enjoy  good 
health.  There  are  individual  cases  wThere  it  is  ad- 
visable not  to  eat  indiscriminately  of  the  flesh  of 
animals  and  birds  and  fish,  of  the  grain  of  the 
field,  of  the  fruits  of  the  tree,  and  the  various  ber- 
ries which  grow  on  bushes,  and  the  numerous  veg- 
etables which  are  richly  supplied  to  our  tables. 

Corpulency  in  man  is  a disease  arising  from  the 
fact  that  certain  portions  of  nutriment  which  he  re- 
ceives are  not  conveyed  out  of  the  system,  but  re- 
main stored  there,  and  accumulate  sometimes  in 
such  immense  quantities  as  to  be  of  serious  incon- 
venience to  the  individual,  impeding  locomotion, 
hindering  greatly  in  the  performance  of  daily  work, 
causing  an  abiding  and  uncomfortable  shortness  of 
breath,  and  seeming  to  dispose  the  system  to  attacks 


48 


WHAT  TO  EAT. 


of  apoplexy,  or  other  forms  of  sudden  death.  If 
such  a person  desires  to  reduce  his  weight  to  more 
convenient  proportions,  it  becomes  of  practical  in- 
terest to  inquire 

WHAT  SHALL  FAT  MEN  EAT 

Fat  in  the  human  system  is  an  accumulation  of 
heat  - producing  or  carbonaceous  material ; hence 
those  desiring  leanness  should  avoid  to  a reason- 
able extent  the  use  of  carbonaceous  food,  such  as 
abound  in  oils,  and  fat,  and  starch,  and  sweets. 

Another  principle  of  action  is  that  as  a man  re- 
quires a certain  amount  of  food  daily  to  supply  the 
wastes  of  the  system,  if  he  wants  to  reduce  his 
weight,  he  must  eat  less  every  day  than  the  sys- 
tem requires ; this  would  be  a more  speedy  method 
than  the  mere  avoidance  of  fatty  foods.  The  bear 
of  our  country  becomes  fat  in  the  autumn  from  the 
large  supply  of  food  which  he  finds  in  the  forest  at 
that  season  of  the  year,  and,  seeking  for  some  re- 
tired spot,  a cave,  or  hollow  log,  he  hides  himself 
away,  and,  with  his  paw  in  his  mouth,  sleeps  until 
spring,  unconsciously,  it  is  said,  sucking  it  all  the 
time.  He  remains  the  whole  winter  in  a kind  of 
torpid,  frozen  condition ; but  the  fire  of  life  had  to 
be  kept  up  all  that  time,  which  was  done  by  the 
gradual  use  of  the  surplus  fat  with  which  he  was 
supplied  when  he  went  into  his  winter-  quarters ; 
now  instead  of  being  rounded,  and  sleek,  and 
fat,  and  strong,  as  he  was  a few  months  before,  he 
is  but  little  more  than  skin  and  bone,  and  with 


THE  ACQUISITION  OF  LEANNESS. 


49 


the  first  sunshine  of  spring  he  emerges  from  his 
winter  home  to  hunt,  and  feed,  and  recuperate. 

All  know  that  in  a very  short  time  the  ship- 
wrecked sailor  becomes  reduced  to  skin  and  bone, 
when  food  has  not  b^een  supplied  to  him.  The  rule, 
then,  for  the  fat  man,  who  wishes  to  reduce  his 
bulk  is  to  avoid  fatty  foods  and  eat  daily  less  than 
the  system  actually  needs,  and  the  effects  will  be 
more  palpable,  if,  in  the  mean  time,  he  works  hard 
or  aims  to  spend  a large  portion  of  daylight  in  out- 
door activities.  The  advantage  of  this  method  is 
that  he  will  not  only  not  become  weak  in  body  or 
listless  in  mind,  but  will  find  an  amazing  change  in 
the  activity  of  his  limbs,  in  the  soundness  of  his 
sleep,  and  in  the  life,  and  buoyancy,  and  elasticity 
of  his  spirits ; the  brain,  too,  will  act  with  extraor- 
dinary clearness,  and  all  the  sensibilities  of  the  sys- 
tem will  become  etherealized,  elevated,  and  refined  ; 
and  in  comparison  with  his  former  condition  of 
obesity,  breathing  will  become  a bliss,  and  life  a 
protracted  sunshine  ; the  only  drawback  will  be 
that  he  will  be  hungry  all  the  time,  but  then  he 
don’t  want  to  be  fat.  Every  acquisition  has  its  effort 
and  its  self-denials,  and  there  is  no  exception  in 

THE  ACQUISITION  OF  LEANNESS. 

Banting’s  System  a Cause  of  Bright’s  Disease. — . 
Dr.  Thomas  Clemens  of  Frankfort  ( Chemical  Gazette ), 
reports  three  cases  of  his  own,  in  which  the  patients  had 
carried  Banting-ism  to  an  excess.  So  insidious  was  the 
invasion  of'  the  renal  disorder,  that  when  the  patients  first 
4 


50 


WHAT  TO  EAT. 


applied  for  medical  aid,  the  symptoms  of  Bright’s  disease, 
fully  developed,  were  found  in  each  instance.  All  the  cases 
were  fatal,  and  each  was  accompanied  with  a rapid  and  pro- 
found disarrangement  of  the  whole  system,  associated  with 
symptoms  referred  to  the  brain  and  cord.  Dr.  Clemens  be- 
lieves that  a tendency  to  the  disease  is  caused  by  the  loss  of 
the  fat  of  the  kidney,  together  with  an  excessive  supply  of 
albuminous  material  in  the  blood. 

It  will  aid  the  fat  man,  if  some  specific  state- 
ments are  made  by  which  he  may  be  able  to  pro- 
ceed with  safety  and  with  system  in  attaining  the 
object  of  his  laudable  ambition  ; these  statements 
are  the  result  of  carefully  conducted  scientific  ex- 
periments, made  by  eminent  men  by  the  require- 
ments of  governmental  authority,  hence  cannot  be 
doubted  or  denied. 

The  quickest  way  to  reduce  a man’s  fatness  is  to 
eat  less.  If  he  is  in  a hurry,  eat  nothing.  A 
young  man  lost  fifteen  pounds  in  a few  days,  thus  : 
On  Tuesday,  the  18th  of  May,  he  fell  asleep  in  the 
steamship  Rising  Star , and  the  hatches  were  closed 
on  him  at  Aspinwall ; on  Wednesday,  the  following 
week,  about  eight  o’clock  in  the  morning,  an  inter- 
val of  nearly  nine  days,  he  was  discovered  on  the 
arrival  of  the  vessel  at  New  York,  not  having 
tasted  a particle  of  food  or  drank  a drop  of  any 
kind  of  liquid  in  the  interval.  When  discovered 
he  was  unable  to  stand  up.  Tea  was  given  him, 
but  he  could  not  retain  it  on  his  stomach ; a spoon- 
ful or  two  of  sherry  wine  was  next  administered ; 
this  was  retained,  and  repeated  at  ten  minutes’ 
interval  for  several  times ; then  more  nourishing 


AN  EGG  A DAY. 


51 


food  was  furnished  in  very  small  quantities  at  short 
intervals,  and  by  this  treatment,  he  recovered  in  a 
few  days. 

AN  EGG  A DAY. 

It  is  known  that  a celebrated  German  scholar 
took  refuge  in  a hay-loft  from  an  infuriated  soldiery  ; 
the  next  day  a hen  came,  made  a nest  near  him 
and  laid  an  egg,  which  he  ate  ; this  was  repeated 
daily  for  fourteen  days,  when  the  army  having  left 
the  town,  he  emerged  from  his  hiding  place,  and 
was  able  to  walk  to  the  house  of  a friend,  having 
lost  several  pounds  of  flesh  in  the  mean  time.  So 
that  if  a man  lies  still  all  the  time,  he  may  subsist 
on  a very  small  amount  of  food,  a common  egg 
weighing  but  two  ounces.  If,  however,  a man  is 
walking  about,  out  of  bed  all  day,  but  not  working 
any,  and  is  in  good  health,  he  requires  at  least  a 
pound  or  sixteen  ounces  of  nutriment.  Different 
persons  require  different  amounts  ; but  taking  fifty 
men  promiscuously  from  any  crowd,  in  good  health, 
they  will  require  from  sixteen  to  eighteen  ounces 
of  actual  nourishment ; but  it  will  take  about  six 
pounds  of  common  food  in  its  natural  state,  as  it 
comes  on  the  table,  to  yield  one  pound  of  nutriment. 
To  make  statements  more  easily  remembered  and 
yet  sufficiently  accurate,  it  is  enough  to  say  that 
while  a man  in  good  health  requires  a pound  of 
nutriment  every  twenty-four  hours,  to  keep  him  at 
his  weight  and  strength,  without  work,  three  quar- 
ters of  this  must  be  warming  or  carbonaceous  food, 
and  one  quarter  of  a pound  of  albuminate,  oi 


52 


WHAT  TO  EAT. 


muscle  or  flesh-making  food,  called  also  nitrates  or 
nitrogenous  food.  In  the  experiments  made,  some 
persons  lost  four  pounds  in  weight  in  two  months ; 
others  lost  two  pounds  only.  But  to  show  with  what 
accuracy  the  experiments  were  conducted,  it  was 
determined  to  find  out  why  some  men  lost  twice  as 
much  as  others  in  the  same  general  circumstances ; 
and  it  was  revealed  that  the  men  who  were  fed  on 
mush  and  milk  at  certain  meals  lost  one  half  less 
than  those  who  took  molasses  with  their  mush  ; 
because  molasses  is  a carbonaceous  food,  it  only 
warms ; milk  is  an  albuminate,  it  makes  flesh  and 
gives  strength,  as  it  is  one  of  the  perfect  foods,  has 
all  the  elements  of  nutrition.  If  persons  wish  to 
diminish  their  bulk,  weight,  or  fat,  the  general  rules 
everywhere  applicable  to  the  sedentary  are  : — 

1.  Eat  such  amounts,  morning,  noon,  and  night, 
as  will  keep  you  hungry  three  fourths  of  your 
waking  existence. 

2.  Let  one  sixth  of  your  food  be  albuminate, 
that  is  strength  and  flesh  giving,  and  five  sixths  of 
the  carbonaceous  kind,  such  as  give  warmth. 

3.  If  it  is  desired  to  hasten  the  result,  either 
work  a great  part  of  the  time  in  the  open  air,  or 
think  intensely  ; for  both  work  and  thought  con- 
sume the  fat  of  a man. 

HOW  TO  GET  FAT. 

It  is  a striking  fact  that  most  persons  want  to 
weigh  more  than  they  do,  and  measure  their  health 
by  their  weight,  as  if  man  were  a pig,  valuable  in 


HOW  TO  GET  FAT. 


53 


proportion  to  his  heaviness.  The  racer  is  not  fat 
a good  plough  horse  has  but  a moderate  amount  of 
flesh.  Heavy  men  are  not  those  which  experienced 
contractors  employ  to  build  railroads  and  dig  ditches. 
Thin  men,  the  world  over,  are  the  men  for  work, 
for  endurance ; they  are  wiry  and  hardy  ; thin 
people  live  the  longest ; the  truth  is,  fat  is  a disease, 
and,  as  proof,  fat  people  are  never  well  a day  at  a 
time,  — are  not  suited  for  hard  work.  Still,  there 
is  a medium  between  being  fat  as  a butter-ball  and 
as  thin  and  juiceless  as  a fence-rail.  For  mere 
looks  a moderate  rotundity  is  most  desirable,  to 
have  enough  of  flesh  to  cover  all  angularities.  To 
accomplish  this  in  the  shortest  time,  a man  should 
work  but  little,  sleep  a great  part  of  the  time, 
allow  nothing  to  worry  hiih,  keep  always  in  a 
joyous,  laughing  mood,  and  live  chiefly  on  albumi- 
nates, such  as  boiled  cracked  wheat,  and  rye, 
and  oats,  and  corn,  and  barley,  with  sweet  milk, 
and  buttermilk,  and  meats.  Sugar  is  the  best  fat- 
tener  known. 

Some  years  ago  there  was  a very  remarkable 
man  in  Wall  Street ; his  name  was  on  every  tongue 
throughout  the  country  as  “ the  man  who  made 
paper,”  that  is,  signed  other  men’s  names  to  notes 
payable  to  himself,  and  sold  them  to  banks,  bankers, 
and  moneyed  men  in  the  street  at  large  discounts. 
Most  of  the  purchasers  knew  the  names  were 
forged ; but  tempted  by  the  heavy  discounts,  and  the 
'‘maker  of  paper”  being  known  to  take  up  his 
notes  always  before  they  were  due,  the  ball  rolled 


54 


WHAT  TO  EAT. 


on  and  up  to  hundreds  of  thousands.  It  was  stated 
on  oath  at  the  trial,  and  corroborated,  that  he 
always  had  the  headache,  and  that  he  was  nevei 
seen  down-town  without  a cigar  in  his  mouth ; 
always  thin,  always  complaining.  He  was  sent  to 
the  penitentiary  — was  so  faithful  to  the  laws,  and 
so  attentive  to  his  business,  and  withal  so  reliable, 
that  a clerkship  or  some  easy  berth  was  given  him 
of  a very  quiet,  sedentary  character.  In  the  second 
month  of  his  imprisonment  he  had  gained  fifteen 
pounds  in  weight.  He  was  never  allowed  to  smoke. 

Within  a year  a man  was  charged  with  some 
infraction  of  the  laws,  and  was  sent  to  prison  to 
await  trial,  without  the  knowledge  of  his  wife,  to 
whom  he  had  just  before  been  married,  after  a 
short  courtship.  In  about  three  months,  she 
ascertained  where  he  was ; and,  on  being  shown  to 
his  cell,  she  at  first  did  not  recognize  him,  he  had 
“ fleshed  up  so.5’  These  are  cases  among  ten 
thousands  of  others  which  could  be  narrated,  where 
persons  have  grown  fatter  on  going  to  prison ; 
the  rules  of  prison-life  fully  accounting  for. the  fact. 
They  do  nothing  but  eat  and  sleep.  They  eat  reg- 
ularly of  plain  meats  and  coarse  breads. 

From  all  the  statements  made,  the  conclusion  is 
undeniable  that  a safe,  healthful,  and  sure  method 
of  increasing  flesh  is  to  live  a quiet,  in-door  life, 
sleep  a great  deal,  eat  regularly  of  plain  meat  and 
coarse  breads,  or  any  of  the  grains  .named,  cracked 
in  pieces,  boiled  well,  and  eaten  with  milk  ; keep- 
ing the  system  cool  by  the  use  of  cold  water,  and 


HOW  TO  GET  FAT. 


55 


maintaining  a daily  and  free  action  of  the  bowels, 
which  last  is  pretty  sure  to  follow  a diet  composed 
mainly  of  coarse  breads  and  cracked  grain  ; because 
chemistry  has  demonstrated  that  the  most  nutritious 
and  strengthening  part  of  corn,  oats,  rye,  barley, 
and  wheat  are  in  the  outer  part,  in  the  shell  or 
bran,  which  is  unfortunately  separated  from  the 
inner  portion,  giving  us  the  pure  white  and  com- 
paratively innutritious  flour,  while  the  most  health- 
ful and  invigorating  part,  the  bran,  or  outer  shell, 
is  thrown  away,  or  given  to  hogs,  horses,  and 
cattle. 


CHAPTER  IY. 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 

The  question  of  how  much  one  ought  to  eat  is 
perhaps  one  of  the  most  frequent  inquiries  made  of 
a physician ; but  the  reply  depends  on  an  infinite 
variety  of  conditions.  The  answer  here  will  apply 
to  those  only  who  are  in  reasonable  health,  and  eat 
but  three  times  a day.  For  out-door  laborers,  for 
breakfast  and  dinner,  the  general  rule  should  be, 
eat  as  much  as  you  want.  But  do  not  eat  more 
than  you  want,  — not  one  single  atom  more  than 
you  want ; for  it  is  the  ruin  of  life’s  happiness  in 
multitudes  of  cases. 

The  domestic  animals  are  frequently  observed  to 
leave  food  before  them,  blind  instinct  being  their 
only  guide  ; and  surely  the  nobler  man,  with  his 
nobler  reason,  ought  not  to  act  with  less  wisdom. 

When  nature  prompts  a man  to  cease  eating,  it  is 
because  hunger  is  appeased  ; as  much  food  has  been 
taken  as  there  are  stomach  juices  enough  to  take 
care  of.  Every  mouthful  swallowed  after  that 
is  without  one  drop  of  gastric  juice  to  take  care  of 
it,  to  keep  it  from  rotting ; and  that  single  mouthful, 
being  unprovided  for,  becomes  tainted  food,  and 
corrupts,  to  that  extent,  the  whole  mass  besides ; 
the  whole  amount  of  blood  made  from  that  meal  is, 
to  that  extent,  corrupted  and  made  impure,  and 


LIGHT  SUPPERS. 


57 


mixing  with  the  blood  already  in  the  system,  as  it 
does  in  the  heart  and  lungs,  the  whole  mass  of 
blood  in  the  human  body  is  tainted  to  the  extent  of 
that  mouthful  swallowed  which  was  not  wanted, 
but  was  forced  on  the  unresisting  stomach  for  the 
pitiful  purpose  of,  “ saving  ” what  was  not  intrinsic- 
ally worth  one  single  cent.  To  “ save  ” less  than  a 
penny,  a rational  man  corrupts  the  whole  mass  of  his 
blood,  renders  it  impure,  makes  his  blood  “bad;” 
and  all  know  that  “ bad  blood 99  is  the  very  fruitful 
cause  of  human  suffering,  because  where  there  is 

BAD  BLOOD 

in  the  human  body,  it  is  liable  to  affect  injuriously 
and  painfully  any  portion  of  the  system,  or  every 
portion  of  it,  according  to  circumstances  ; hence 
those  who  eat  too  much  are  never  well,  are  always 
complaining,  and  legitimately  so,  because  their 
blood  is  never  pure  and  healthful,  but  is  always 
bad,  always  diseased,  always  corrupting.  While  it 
is  a good  rule  for  the  man  who  works  hard  out-of- 
doors  to  eat  as  much  as  he  wants  at  breakfast  and 
dinner,  he  and  all  others  ought  to  take 

LIGHT  SUPPERS, 

if  no  special  labor  has  to  be  done  until  next  day. 
By  a light  supper  is  meant  a bowl  of  mush  and 
milk,  or  stirabout,  or  boiled  cracked  wheat,  or  corn, 
or  other  grain.  Better,  however,  than  all  these 
would  it  be  if  the  supper  was  rigidly  confined  to  a 
single  piece  of  cold  bread  and  butter,  and  one  cup 


58 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT 


of  warm  drink,  of  any  kind  of  herb  tea ; and  it  is 
believed  that  nothing  answers  the  purpose  so  well 
as  the  common  “ black  tea  ” of  commerce.  Some 
prefer  the  “ green  tea; ” but  to  many  it  is  too  stim- 
ulating, and  either  causes  some  discomfort  in  the 
stomach,  or  interferes  with  the  sleep  at  night. 
Many  who  are  made  restless  all  night  by  taking 
green  tea  for  supper,  can  use  the  black  tea  without 
any  disagreeable  attendants. 

Very  few  families  have  the  moral  courage  to 
spread  the  tea-table  without  some  addition  to  the 
bread  and  butter.  This  addition  is  in  the  shape  of 
sauce,  or  preserves,  or  chipped  beef,  or  sliced  ham ; 
and,  at  certain  seasons,  berries  and  cream  are  sub- 
stituted. But  it  is  undeniable  that  this  practice  of 
having  “ relishes  ” on  the  tea-table  ruins  the  health 
and  shortens  the  life  of  uncounted  thousands ; it 
makes  our  daughters  confirmed  dyspeptics  before 
they  are  out  of  their  teens,  and  to  all  who  spend 
most  of  their  lives  in-doors,  it  is  the  bane  of  human 
happiness,  is  the  universal  curse  of  farm-house 
life,  and  accounts  for  the  belief  of  many  eminent 
medical  men,  that,  with  all  the  vaunted  advantages 
of  country  life,  there  is  more  sickness  in  farmers’ 
families,  more  diseases  of  long  standing  in  propor- 
tion to  numbers,  than  in  city  families. 

CITY  HEALTHIER  THAN  THE  COUNTRY. 

The  actual  truth  is  that  in  the  largest  cities  of  the 
world,  taking  London  as  an  example,  the  average  of 
human  life  is  longer  than  in  the  country. 


CITY  HEALTHIER  THAN  THE  COUNTRY.  5$ 

The  reason  of  this,  as  far  as  it  relates  to  farmers 
and  other  laborers,  is,  that  at  the  close  of  the  day 
they  are  tired  ; the  circulation  is  weak  and  slow, 
the  fire  of  life  is  low,  they  feel  weary  and  sad,  and 
very  likely  hungry.  Under  these  circumstances 
they  eat  a hearty  supper,  which  of  itself  tends  to 
sleepiness,  and  that  combined  with  the  general 
weariness  makes  the  tendency  to  sleep  almost 
overpowering  and  quite  irresistible.  In  addition, 
there  is  the  almost  deathly  stillness  at  night  in  the 
country  and  a sense  of  loneliness ; these  combined, 
send  the  farmer  to  bed  almost  as  soon  as  he  has 
swallowed  his  supper,  rarely  perhaps  out  of  bed 
later  than  nine  o’clock  ; and  while  every  muscle  of 
the  body  yearns  for  rest  and  falls  to  sleep,  the 
stomach  has  had  a new  task  imposed  upon  it,  which 
it  cannot  possibly  perform  short  of  five  or  six  hours, 
which  brings  it  toward  daylight,  the  farmer’s  hour 
for  rising,  when  breakfast  comes  on,  and  a new 
burden  is  imposed  upon  the  unrested  stomach 
— a burden  which  it  is  impossible  for  it  to  per- 
form well ; and  to  the  extent  this  is  not  done,  di- 
gestion is  not  perfectly  perfoimed,  and  the  blood 
which  is  made  but  of  this  nutriment  is  imperfectly 
made,  — gives  out  but  part  of  its  strength  ; the  man 
works  with  proportioned  effort  and  weariness,  while 
the  system  is  rendered  more  liable  to  disease,  and 
is  all  the  time,  more  or  less,  out  of  its  natural  con- 
dition. These  effects  are  not  instantaneously  in- 
duced ; but  as  silently  and  as  certainly  as  the  snow- 
flake falls,  and  falls,  and  falls,  until  a mountain  bank 


60 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


or  avalanche  is  formed,  so  certainly  will  the  ele- 
ments of  disease  accumulate  in  the  human  system 
by  the  continued  practice  of  eating  which  has  been 
described.  Such  are  some  of  the  ill  effects  of  eat* 
ing  late  and  heartily  ; and  they  are  wise  who  will 
give  the  subject  a full  examination,  and  conduct 
themselves  accordingly. 

LEAVE  OFF  HUNGRY, 

is  not  wise  for  workers,  especially  for  those  who 
labor  out-of-doors,  nor  for  such  as  use  severe  mus- 
cular effort  anywhere ; but  for  women,  and  for  all 
sedentary  persons,  for  those  who  are  seated  a great 
part  of  the  day,  for  invalids,  and  for  all  who  have 
leisure,  of  either  sex,  it  is  a maxim  of  incomputable 
value.  Such  a habit  would  add  largely  to  the  aver- 
age length  of  human  life,  would  greatly  ameliorate 
many  of  its  maladies,  and  would  do  very  much  to- 
ward eradicating  our  national  disease,  dyspepsia. 
If  an  out-door  laborer  eats  to  his  fill,  he  soon  works 
it  off  and  out  of  the  system ; but  those  who  are  in- 
doors most  of  the  time,  have  not  this  opportunity, 
and  hence  are  liable  to  discomfort  and  actual  suf- 
fering. 

That  we  all  could  be  well,  and  not  eat  near  as 
much  as  we  do,  will  perhaps  not  be  denied.  We 
all  eat  too  much.  Let  the  reader  be  persuaded  to 
make  the  following  experiment,  and  in  the  light 
of  it  make  it  the  habit  of  his  life  on  this  point. 
Some  day,  when  you  have  been  helped  at  the 
table,  stop  short  off  when  you  have  eaten  three 


LEAVE  OFF  HUNGRY. 


61 


fourths  of  what  was  on  your  plate,  while  you  were 
somewhat  hungry ; in  half  an  hour  you  will  feel  as 
if  you  had  eaten  quite  enough,  and  you  will  be  no 
more  hungry  next  morning  than  you  have  usually 
been,  that  is,  from  a single  experiment  of  the  kind. 

At  another  time  eat  as  much  as  you  want,  and 
within  half  an  hour  you  will  feel  as  if  you  had 
eaten  too  much,  although  wThile  you  were  eating 
you  seemed  to  have  an  appetite,  and  the  food  tasted 
well ; still  you  have  a feeling  of  discomfort,  of  full- 
ness, of  oppression,  of  heaviness,  or  some  other 
sensation,  which  causes  the  wish  that  you  had  not 
eaten  so  much,  leaving  the  conviction  that  you  had 
eaten  too  much ; and  always,  when  this  is  the  case, 
the  stomach,  in  a sense,  has  not  room  to  work ; it  is 
so  distended  that  it  has  not  the  power  of  contraction 
and  motion,  which  are  necessary  to  the  healthful 
handling  of  the  food ; nor  are  there  fluids  enough  to 
dissolve  it,  with  the  inevitable  result  of  imperfect 
digestion  and  an  imperfect  blood,  wanting  in  its 
natural  strength,  wanting  in  its  natural  life. 

• It  is  scarcely  possible  that  any  person  of  even 
a moderate  share  of  force  of  character  and  intelli- 
gence could  practice  for  a single  week  the  habit  of 
rising  from  the  table  a little  hungry  thrice  a day, 
and  then  comparing  his  general  feelings  of  health- 
fulness with  those  experienced  from  the  contrary 
aabit  of  always  overloading,  and  not  be  so  overpow- 
eringly  convinced  of  the  beneficial  effects  as  to  re- 
solve that  for  the  remnant  of  his  days  he  would  eat 
temperately,  not  to  his  utmost  fill  at  any  meal.  And 


62 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


yet,  in  the  face  of  all  this,  it  would  not  be  safe  to  say 
that  over  one  in  a thousand  readers  of  these  pages 
will  be  induced  to  inaugurate  the  habit  so  highly 
extolled,  simply  because  the  animal  predominates 
over  the  reason,  the  appetite  is  stronger  than  the  soul, 
the  body  is  servant  of  the  propensities  and  passions  ; 
and  with  all  our  strength  of  mind,  with  all  the  con- 
victions of  our  rational  powers,  we  debase  ourselves 
to  the  lusts  of  the  flesh.  One  of  the  most  remark- 
able exhibitions  of  this  slavishness  to  the  love  of 
eating  that  has  ever  occurred  in  human  history  is 
an  item  in  the  life  of  one  of  the  world’s  worthies, 
who,  as  to  mental  power  in  logic  and  theology,  is 
without  a superior  in  modern  history.  He  made 
this  quaint  confession,  “ Three  times  a day  I go  to 
the  tabid  determined  to  not  exceed ; three  times 
a day  I come  away  finding  that  I have  exceeded.” 
Not  vouching  for  the  verbal  exactness  of  the  state- 
ment, the  truth  embodied  is  incontrovertible,  that 
the  great  man  who  wrote  an  immortal  work  had 
not  the  mastery  over  his  appetites,  and  the  con- 
sciousness of  it  extorted  the  frank  confession,  itself 
an  evidence  of  a great  mind,  that  he  frequently 
committed  indiscretions  in  eating  ; and  this  very 
fact  may  have  been  a main  reason  for  his  dying 
before  he  had  reached  his  fortieth  year : and  phi- 
losophers, and  divines,  and  great  men  of  all  cul- 
tivated nations  have  ever  since  regretted  that  he 
had  not  lived  longer,  that  he  might  have  given 
the  world  still  greater  things  as  the  fruitage  of  a 
grand  intellect.  He  died  of  small-pox,  a disease 


EATING  BY  WEIGHT  AND  MEASURE. 


63 


which  a strong  constitution  can  withstand  ana 
throw  off ; but  no  constitution  can  be  strong,  can 
have  any  store  of  vitality,  where  a man  eats  too 
much  habitually. 

EATING  BY  WEIGHT  AND  MEASURE 

is  neither  wise  nor  practicable,  unless  a man  is  a 
guide  only  for  himself,  because  no  two  persons  can 
be  found  of  like  circumstances.  Age,  sex,  season, 
latitude,  condition  of  the  system,  employment,  all 
have  a modifying  effect.  Half  a pound  of  food 
would  be  quite  enough  for  one  person,  while 
another  might  require  a much  larger  amount.  A 
Scotch  gentleman  of  culture  and  intelligence  spent 
three  years  with  the  Indians  in  the  mountatns  be- 
yond the  Missouri,  and,  as  a pastime,  joined  with 
them  in  trapping  animals  for  their  furs.  He  told 
the  writer  that  the  custom  of  the  tribe  with  which 
he  associated  was  to  eat  but  once  a day.  They 
rose  at  daylight,  visited  their  traps,  and  chased  the 
animals  until  night,  walking  and  running  the  whole 
day,  not  stopping  to  eat  a morsel ; but  at  night 
they  would  eat  from  nine  to  ten  pounds  of  meat 
for  supper,  as  a general  rule,  then  talk  around  their 
camp-fires,  smoke  awhile,  then  lie  down  with  their 
feet  towards  the  fire.  At  the  peep  of  day,  they 
would  leave  their  camps,  and  trap  until  night,  as 
before.  This  was  a custom  adapted  to  their  cir- 
cumstances, and  which  seemed  healthful. 

A celebrity  in  Washington  city,  a kind  of  Beau 
Brummel,  ate  but  once  a day  ; and  when,  by  being 


64 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


invited  to  an  evening  party,  it  was  necessary  to 
participate  in  the  feasting,  making  a second  meal  to 
him,  he  would  eat  nothing  at  all  the  day  following, 
so  that  he  might  average  but  one  meal  a day.  He 
died  not  Jong  since,  at  the  age  of  about  'eighty 
years.  These  cases  show  the  adaptability  of  the 
human  constitution  to  different  habits,  under  pecul- 
iar circumstances.  At  the  same  time,  those  who 
pursue  a regular  occupation  of  body  or  brain,  and 
work  hard,  would  do  better  and  live  longer  by 
eating  three  times  a day  ; because,  if  as  much  is 
eaten  at  one  meal  as  would  last  until  next  day,  it 
would  be  such  a load  for  the  stomach  that  nothing 
less  than  absolute  rest  for  quite  a number  of  hours 
would  answer  for  the  proper  digestion  of  the  food : 
like  a gorged  anaconda,  there  would  be  a kind  of 
torpid,  inanimate  condition  of  the  system,  until  the 
load  could  be  worked  off. 

The  inhabitants  of  northern  latitudes  eat  incred- 
ible quantities  at  a time.  Captain  Parry  weighed 
the  food  eaten  in  one  day  by  a Greenland  boy : the 
amount  consumed  was  ten  pounds  of  bread  and 
meat,  a pint  of  spirits,  and  over  a gallon  of  water. 
Sir  John  Ross  says  that  a full-grown  man  in  those 
northern  latitudes  will  consume  twenty  pounds  of 
meat  and  grease  in  a day.  A Russian  admiral 
states  from  personal  knowledge  that  a Siberian  ate 
in  one  day  the  hind  quarter  of  an  ox,  twenty 
pounds  of  fat,  and  a proportionate  quantity  of 
melted  butter  for  his  drink.  In  drder  to  be  able 
to  make  a more  specific  statement,  the  Admiral 


EATING  BY  WEIGHT  AND  MEASUKE. 


65 


Saritcheff  sent  for  this  man  with  the  determination 
of  weighing  the  food  lie  might  eat  in  a day,  hut  he 
had  taken  his  breakfast  already ; how-ever,  he  sat 
down  to  a second  meal,  and  ate  twenty-eight 
pounds  of  thick  rice  porridge  with  three  pounds  of 
butter  in  it.  Incredible  as  these  statements  may 
appear  to  us  in  our  temperate  latitudes,  they  are 
undoubtedly  true.  These  shiftless  people  have 
sometimes  to  pass  days  together  without  a particle 
of  food,  and  thus,  when  they  do  get  a supply,  must 
not  only  make  up  for  lost  time,  but  must  also  take 
in  a quantity  which  may  last  the  several  days  ahead 
which  may  intervene  before  they  can  obtain  another 
supply  of  food.  It  must  be  taken  into  account, 
also,  that  in  those  regions  of  eternal  ice  and  snow, 
where  the  thermometer  often  falls  to  sixty  degrees 
below  zero,  and  where  they  have  no  stoves  or 
furnace-heated  apartments,  with  double  windows 
and  weather  strips,  an  immense  amount  of  carbo- 
naceous food  must  be  consumed  to  generate  the 
amount  of  heat  requisite  to  maintain  a living  tem- 
perature. 

As  has  been  stated,  a man  may  live  for  two  weeks 
on  one  egg  a day,  for  food  and  drink  ; so  that  the 
question  of  how  much  to  eat,  whether  one  pound 
or  thirty  at  a time,  depends  altogether  on  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  case.  At  the  same  time,  the 
reader  will  desire  some  more  specific  statement, 
from  which  may  be  derived  practical  information  as 
applicable  to  his  own  case.  In  this  connection,  it 
may  be  interesting  to  know  how  much  a man 
5 


66 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


should  eat  by  measurement,  who  is  of  average  size, 
and  in  reasonable  health  ; but  even  this  depends 
upon  the  fact  whether  he  is  a worker  or  an  idler. 
It  is  very  necessary  to  determine  these  points  with 
great  accuracy,  because,  when  the  government  has 
to  feed  a thousand  or  fifty  thousand  a day,  — some 
soldiers,  some  laborers,  and  some  prisoners,  or  poor- 
house  inmates  who  cannot  work,  — it  is  important, 
in  order  to  avoid  immense  and  useless  waste,  as 
also  to  preserve  the  health  and  strength  of  the 
different  classes,  to  know  with  considerable  pre- 
cision, even  to  an  ounce,  how  much  each  class  of 
persons  requires. 

The  element  of  food  which  is  required  to  sustain 
the  body  and  give  strength  for  work  is  called  albu- 
minate, as  before  stated  ; and  the  quantity  eaten  in 
one  day  should  contain  a full  quarter  of  a pound 
of  albuminate  for  a day  laborer  weighing  a hun- 
dred and  forty  pounds.  Some  articles  of  food  con- 
tain more  of  this  principle  than  others.  Lean 
meats  and  fish,  and  pease  and  beans  contain  a large 
amount  of  albuminate ; fruits  and  vegetables  have 
but  little,  but  they  have  a great  deal  of  the  warm- 
ing element,  carbon,  which  is  as  necessary  to  life  as 
the  other ; hence  the  wisdom  of  eating  different 
kinds  of  food  at  our  meals : meats  to  give  strength, 
vegetables  and  butter  to  give  warmth. 

HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT  IN  A DAV. 

As  an  average-sized  laboring  man  must  have  a 
full  quarter  of  a pound  of  albuminate  every  day,  he 


DIET  FOR  THE  SICK. 


67 


would,  in  order  to  obtain  this,  have  to  eat  a pound 
each  of  roast  beef,  potatoes,  bread,  milk,  and  fruit ; 
but  in  this  there  would  also  be  found  enough  car- 
bon or  warmth  to  answer  the  wants  of  the  system, 
or  a pound  and  a quarter ; that  is  to  say,  an  ordi- 
nary day  laborer  by  eating  five  pounds  of  meat, 
bread,  and  vegetables,  or  mixed  food,  would  supply 
his  system  with  a quarter  of  a pound  of  strengthen- 
ing elements,  and  a pound  and  a quarter  of  warm- 
ing elements.  But  in  the  food  above  named  there 
would  be  also  a small  amount  of  salts,  which  would 
be  represented  by  the  ashes  if  it  were  burned  up ; 
this  portion  of  salts,  although  containing  no  v;armth 
or  strength  in  itself,  is  yet  necessary  to  be  com- 
bined with  the  carbon  and  albuminate  in  order  to 
enable  them  to  give  nourishment  to  the  system. 

PRISON  FARE. 

In  some  of  our  state  prisons  about  four  pounds  of 
solid  food  are  allowed  each  man  every  day  ; while 
emigrants  on  ship  board  have  two  and  a half  pounds 
of  solid  food  daily,  not  requiring  as  much  as  day 
laborers,  as,  instead  of  working,  they  are  lounging 
about  the  vessel,  or  sleep,  consequently  make  but 
little  waste.  In  the  American  army  each  man  is 
allowed  four  pounds  of  solid  food,  with  tea  and 
sugar,  and  every  few  days  some  extras. 

DIET  FOR  THE  SICK. 

In  some  hospitals,  patients  who  are  reasonably 
well  have  one  pound  of  bread  and  half  a pound  of 


68 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


meat,  with,  some  tea  or  gruel,  or,  as  in  England, 
some  beer.  To  persons  not  so  well,  the  daily  al- 
lowance is  three  quarters  of  a pound  of  bread, 
and  a quarter  of  a pound  of  meat.  Hence  it  is 
seen  that  in  answer  to  the  question  — 

44  HOW  MUCH  MUST  I EAT  ? ” 

there  is  all  the  difference  between  one  pound  of 
solid  food  and  six  pounds,  and  that  a man  can  sus- 
tain life  for  weeks,  if  he  is  very  quiet  and  still,  on 
an  egg  a day,  which  is  but  two  or  three  ounces  of 
food.  In  the  celebrated  case  of 

LEWIS  CORNARO, 

an  Italian,  the  specific  amount  of  solid  food  which 
he  allowed  himself  each  day  was  a scant  quarter  of 
a pound  of  albuminate  and  a pound  of  carbon. 

It  is  said,  and  generally  credited,  that  this  man, 
a nobleman  of  fortune,  had  so  abused  himself  by 
riotous  living,  being  a drunkard  and  a glutton,  that 
at  the  age  of  forty  .years  his  physical  condition  was 
such  that  medical  men  considered  his  case  hope- 
less ; that  he  could  not  live  under  any  circum- 
stances ; and  that  therefore  he  might  as  well  live  as 
he  pleased,  and  enjoy  himself  the  best  way  he  could 
for  the  short  remnant  of  his  days.  Some  accidental 
circumstance  caused  him  to  try  the  effects  of  a reg- 
ular diet,  upon  which  he  seemed  to  improve,  and, 
being  encouraged  thereby,  he  persevered  in  the  sys- 
tem marked  out,  with  the  result  that  he  recovered 
tiis  health,  lived  an  exemplary  and  useful  life,  and 


SUMMER  DIET 


69 


died  lamented  by  the  public  at  the  age  of  nearly 
one  hundred  years. 

The  answers  to  the  question  how  much  to  eat, 
depend  so  largely  on  the  circumstances  of  age,  sex, 
season,  latitude,  and  employment,  that  it  would  be 
impracticable  to  name  any  amount  as  applicable  to 
the  majority  of  any  class  of  persons;  in  fact,  it  is 
one  of  those  questions  which  each  man  should  aim 
to  answer  for  himself,  that  answer  being  founded 
on  his  own  close  observation  and  sound  judgment. 
The  following  rules,  however,  will  perhaps  meet  all 
cases  as  to  general  habits  : — 

1.  Eat  at  regular  specified  times,  and  at  no 
others. 

2.  Hard  workers,  especially  those  who  are  most 
of  the  time  in  the  open  air,  should  eat  as  much  as 
they  want  at  breakfast  and  dinner. 

3.  Those  who  are  in-doors  most  of  the  time,  as 
women,  literary  men,  and  students,  should  never 
eat  full  as  much  as  they  want.  This  would  be  a 
safe  rule  for  all  sick  persons  also. 

SUMMER  DIET. 

As  the  object  of  eating  is  to  sustain  the  strength, 
and  to  keep  warm,  carbonaceous  or  warming  food 
is  not  as  much  needed  in  summer  as  in  winter,  any 
more  than  as  much  fuel  should  be  burned  in  warm 
weather  as  in  cold.  And  as  carbonaceous  foods 
comprise  fats  and  fat  meats,  and  sugars  and  starches, 
in  the  form  of  buckwheat  cakes  and  molasses,  butter 
and  oils,  reason  dictates  that  these  should  be  spar- 


70 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


ingly  used  in  summer  time ; and  Nature,  by  hel 
instincts,  blind  though  they  be,  yet  unerring, 
prompts  to  the  same  abstemiousness  in  the  use  of 
these  articles,  and,  as  if  afraid  to  leave  us  to  our- 
selves, she  takes  away  our  appetite  for  them,  and 
craves  in  their  stead,  more  yearningly,  as  the  heats 
of  midsummer  come  on,  the  cooling  vegetable,  and 
spinach,  and  fruit,  and  berry,  and  melon  ; and  not 
only  so,  but  has,  in  her  parental  beneficence,  ar- 
ranged that  these  shall  succeed  each  other  in  their 
season,  with  their  delightful  variety.  The  berry 
and  the  melon  have  no  carbon  at  all,  and  most  of 
the  fruits  have  but  a trace  ; and  if  man  in  his  wis- 
dom, even  with  the  light  he  has,  would  but  eat  on 
the  principles  indicated,  he  might  rid  himself  of  a 
large  share  of  summer  diseases.  But  we  resolutely 
shut  our  eyes  against  the  light,  and  ruthlessly  and 
recklessly  pander  to  our  passions  and  our  appetites, 
to  our  own  undoing. 

The  most  casual  observer  has  noticed  in  himself, 
and  as  to  others,  that  as  the  winter  disappears  and 
the  spring  opens,  the  appetite  begins  to  abate.  As 
we  enter  the  dining-room  and  scan  the  spreading 
of  the  table,  a feeling  of  disappointment  or  dissatis- 
faction passes  over  us,  which  is  too  often  expressed 
by  a frown  or  a scowl.  The  reason  is,  our  appetite 
is  not  waked  up  ; Nature  seems  to  whisper  that  the 
food  before  us  has  not  the  elements  now  needed. 
It  is  the  same  bread  and  butter,  and  potato  and 
roast  beef;  but  we  have  no  craving  for  them.  On 
a cold  winter’s  day  we  would  have  eyed  them  with 


SUMMER  DIET. 


71 


peculiar  satisfaction,  and  would  have  sat  down  to 
the  table  with  pleasurable  expectancy ; but  now  we 
would  almost  as  lief  leave  the  room,  but  for  form’s 
sake  we  sit  down  and  eat,  but  with  no  avidity. 
This  goes  on  for  several  days  with  abating  strength, 
and  perhaps  several  undesirable  feelings  or  sensa- 
tions, or,  in  other  words,  symptoms  ; and  the  phan- 
tom begins  to  arise  that  something  must  be  wrong 
in  the  system.  We  are  sensible  that  we  have 
no  appetite,  that  is,  in  comparison  with  what  we 
have  had,  and  we  straightway  conclude  that  some- 
thing is  the  matter  with  us,  and,  bringing  to  re- 
membrance that  when  we  had  a good  appetite  we 
were  well,  the  conclusion  is  hastily  adopted  that 
the  reason  we  are  not  well  is  because  we  have  no 
appetite,  and  that  if  we  had  an  appetite  we  would 
be  well ; and,  pursuing  the  false  train  of  argument 
and  conclusion,  the  opinion  is  settled  upon  as  an 
undeniable  fact,  that  we  must  take  something  to 
give  us  an  appetite  ; and  we  begin  to  “ take  ” right 
vigorously.  We  take  “ dinner  pills  ; ” we  “ take  ” 
a drink  ; we  take  some  tonic,  some  bitters ; we  take 
anything  and  everything  that  promises  the  desired 
result ; but  the  result  is  never  reached,  because 
the  argument  is  founded  on  a fallacy  palpable 
enough  for  any  one  to  see.  We  are  fighting  against 
Nature,  who  is  attempting  to  diminish  our  appetite 
while  we  are  doing  all  we  can  to  increase  it. 


72 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


SPRING  DISEASES. 

As  the  weather  gets  warmer,  less  food  is  needed 
to  keep  the  body  warm  ; we,  in  our  blindness,  en- 
deavor to  keep  up  the  same  heat,  to  burn  as  much 
internal  fuel  in  July  as  in  January.  If  we  do  eat 
as  much,  the  system  cannot  appropriate  it,  it  is  re- 
jected, it  is  cast  out  ; but  in  making  the  effort  to 
cast  it  out,  natural  force  is  expended  which  ought  to 
have  been  saved,  weakening  ourselves  unnecessarily 
while  we  were  weak  and  languid  before  ; and  these 
were  the  very  feelings  which  prompted  us  to  be  do- 
ing something  to  make  us  feel  better,  to  improve 
our  general  condition,  and  to  increase  our  strength. 
The  means  we  used  were  to  force  upon  the  stomach 
much  larger  amounts  than  were  craved,  thus  im- 
posing upon  that  much  abused  organ  the  additional 
labor,  not  only  to  expend  the  strength  of  the  sys- 
tem unnecessarily,  but  to  cause  irritations,  and 
fevers,  and  inflammations,  which  bring  wreck  and 
ruin  to  thousands  every  spring  and  summer,  — 
the  deaths  in  the  warm  months  being  nearly  double 
those  in  the  cooler  ones  of  October  and  November. 
Health  increases  in  the  autumn.  The  health,  and 
strength,  and  bodily  enjoyment  of  all  communities 
increase  as  the  weather  begins  to  cool  in  the  first 
days  of  October  ; the  appetite  gradually  improves, 
because  Nature  sees  that  as  the  weather  is  getting 
cooler  outside,  there  must  be  more  fuel  consumed 
within,  and  she  instinctively  calls  for  more  food  ; and 
the  strength  increases  proportionably ; we  gain  more 


SPRING  DISEASES. 


73 


flesh,  and  with  it  come  new  hopes  and  new  ambi- 
tions, and  a new  power  of  action.  Hence  it  is  an 
indisputable  physiological  truth  that  if  the  instincts 
of  Nature  were  yielded  to  in  the  spring ; were  cher- 
ished in  her  desire  to  take  less  and  less  food  as  the 
weather  grows  warmer,  as  they  are  yielded  to  in  the 
autumn  in  taking  more,  a very  large  amount  of  the 
diseases  of  spring  and  summer  would  be  avoided. 
The  great  practical  lesson  to  be  learned  in  refer- 
ence to  the  subject,  a question  of  health  and  dis- 
ease, yes,  in  multitudes  of  cases  a question  of  life 
and  death,  is  simply  this  : as  the  winter  passes,  and 
the  balmy  spring-time  comes  on,  do  nothing  to  in- 
crease the  appetite  ; eat  no  more  than  is  called  for ; 
do  not  be  uneasy  because  you  have  little  or  no 
relish  for  your  food;  eat  less  and  less  everyday. 
The  very  best  way  to  increase  your  pleasure  of  eat- 
ing is  to  change  the  quality  of  the  food  ; use  arti- 
cles less  carbonaceous,  less  warming;  send  from 
your  table  the  pork  and  bacon,  and  fat  meats  and 
oils,  and  sugars  and  starches,  the  sago  and  the  tapi- 
oca pudding,  and  the  dumplings  and  the  rich  pas- 
tries ; get  hold  of  the  early  “ greens,”  the  spinach, 
the  salads,  the  turnip-tops,  the  radish,  the  early 
berry  and  the  early  fruit,  and  lean  meats ; pay  in- 
creasing attention  to  the  cleanliness  of  the  skin  ; be 
more  in  the  open  air,  sleep  in  better  ventilated 
rooms,  let  your  windows  be  raised  higher  at  night, 
and  your  inner  doors  be  left  wider  open. 


74 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


KEEPING  LENT 

strictly,  without  the  dispensations  usually  granted,  is 
founded  on  a wise  physiology.  If  all  persons  for  a 
month  in  early  spring  were  to  abstain  from  all  meats 
whatsoever,  as  the  spirit  of  the  doctrine  of  Lent 
requires,  it  would  add  greatly  to  the  health  of 
communities,  by  enabling  the  system  to  throw  off 
the  impurities  of  the  body  acquired  by  the  hearty 
eating  of  winter,  would  cool  off  the  heated  blood, 
and  thus  destroy  the  germs  of  spring  and  summer 
diseases  ; and  thus  is  it  that  the  proper  practice 
of  the  precepts  of  religion  promotes  not  only  the 
spiritual  but  the  physical  health  of  man.  These  are 
simple  measures ; they  are  practicable,  cost  no 
money,  and  are  available  to  all ; and  if  heeded  in  a 
rational  manner,  death  would  be  kept  from  many  a 
dwelling,  and  life-time  sorrows  would  be  lightened 
in  many  bosoms. 

children’s  eating. 

It  is  a painful  fact  that  the  foundations  of  life- 
long dyspepsias  are  laid  in  childhood,  leading  to 
another  truth  of  terrible  significance,  — a truth  care- 
fully educed  by  scientific  men  of  all  cultivated 
nations,  — that,  in  a very  large  proportion  of  cases, 
the  seeds  of  consumption  are  sown  in  the  constitu 
tion  while  the  young  are  in  their  teens.  Consump 
tion  is  a disease  of  debility  ; and  just  as  soon  as  the 
digestion  becomes  impaired,  the  requisite  strength 
is  not  withdrawn  from  the  food,  debility  begins,  the 


THE  DIGESTIVE  ORGANS. 


75 


power  to  resist  disease  is  weakened,  colds  are  easily 
taken  and  renewed  ; soon  it  is  seen  that  before  one 
is  cured  another  is  taken ; they  run  into  one  an- 
other, a continued  cold,  a continued  cough,  the 
beginning  of  the  end. 

Errors  of  eating  on  the  part  of  children  have  a 
more  serious  bearing  on  the  constitution  than  in 
grown  persons,  because  they  have  less  vitality,  less 
power  of  life  ; these  errors  lead  to  a great  variety 
of  diseases,  and  it  may  answer  an  important  pur- 
pose to  state  the  diseases  which  are  associated  with 
the  stomach  and  its  connections ; all  of  which  may 
be  prevented  by  a proper  attention  to  the  eating, 
and  may  be  cured  in  the  same  manner.  It  may 
be  that  when  parents  see  what  a long  list  of  mal- 
adies can  be  avoided  if  a wise  attention  is  paid  to 
the  diet  of  their  children,  they  may  be  stimulated 
by  fear  and  affection,  as  well  as  by  a sense  of  duty, 
to  give  special  supervision  over  their  children,  in 
connection  with  the  food  they  eat. 

THE  DIGESTIVE  ORGANS 

commence  with  the  entrance  of  the  lips ; next  the 
mouth,  throat,  stomach,  intestines,  and  kidneys ; 
their  functions  being,  first,  to  prepare  the  food 
for  the  stomach,  by  chewing;  in  the  stomach  it  is 
converted  into  a fluid  mass,  which,  passing  along 
the  track  of  the  bowels,  undergoes  certain  changes, 
and  in  this  changed  condition  the  nutritive  por- 
tions are  transmitted  to  the  parts  requiring  them ; 
while  the  refuse  — the  waste  — which  cannot  be 


76  HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 

used  in  any  way,  is  passed  out  of  the  body  through 
the  kidneys,  and  in  the  daily  action  of  the  bowels 
at  the  water-closet  and  privy.  The  following  are 

DISEASES  OF  DIGESTION. 

Appetite,  no. 

Appetite,  excessive. 

Appetite,  depraved. 

Appetite,  perverted. 

Biliousness. 

Cholera  morbus. 

Colic. 

Costiveness. 

Diabetes,  or  excessive  urine. 

Diarrhoea,  or  loose  bowels. 

Dysentery,  or  bloody  flux. 

Dyspepsia,  or  indigestion. 

Fistula. 

Gall-stones. 

Gravel. 

Headache. 

Heartburn. 

Jaundice. 

Nettle-rash. 

Piles. 

Sick-headache. 

Sour  stomach. 

Summer  complaint. 

Toothache,  in  many  of  its  forms* 

Throat  diseases  of  several  kinds* 

Worms  — round,  tape,  pin. 


REGULARITY  OF  CHILDREN’S  EATING. 


77 


Reckless,  indeed,  must  be  those  parents  who  can 
be  indifferent  as  to  their  children’s  food,  after  they 
have  learned  that  such  a formidable  array  of  mala- 
dies can  be  prevented  from  entering  their  house- 
holds by  a proper  supervision  of  what  is  placed 
before  their  children  at  the  family  table. 

REGULARITY  OF  CHILDREN’S  EATING 

is  absolutely  imperative,  if  we  wish  them  to  grow 
up  in  good  health.  The  point  on  which  the  ex- 
ceedingly injurious  effects  of  irregular  eating  de- 
pends, has  already  been  alluded  to.  Order  is 
Heaven’s  first  law.  All  things  move  better,  safer, 
and  more  smoothly,  if  regularity  and  system  be 
everywhere  observed.  If  the  stomach  be  too  long 
without  food,  the  child  becomes  so  ravenous  that  it 
is  sure  to  eat  fast  and  over  much,  bringing  on  con- 
vulsions in  very  many  cases. 

If  one  meal  is  followed  too  soon  by  another,  the 
certain  result  is  either  vomiting  or  acidity,  tending 
to  induce  violent  attacks  of  loose  bowels  of  all 
grades,  from  cholera  infantum  to  the  most  malig- 
nant forms  of  Asiatic  cholera.  After  a child  has 
been  weaned,  and  up  to  seven  years  of  age,  there 
should  not  be  a greater  interval  than  five  hours 
between  the  regular  meals  of  daylight ; but  from 
weaning  up  to  ten  years,  it  would  be  better 
between  breakfast  and  dinner  to  allow  a single 
^iece  of  bread  and  butter,  or  an  apple,  and  the 
same  between  dinner  and  supper,  or  sundown. 
Those  who  would  avoid  the  disagreeable  surprise  of 


78 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


being  waked  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night  by  the 
cries  and  sufferings,  and  oftentimes  dangerous  mal- 
adies of  their  children,  will  make  it  imperative 
that  after  four  years  of  age  they  should  not  be 
allowed  to  eat  anything  whatever  after  supper, 
which  should  never  be  later  for  them  than  three  or 
four  hours  before  bed-time.  After  ten  years  of 
age,  children  can  be  very  readily  trained  to  take 
nothing  between  the  three  regular  meals  of  the 
day. 

FORCING  CHILDREN  TO  EAT 
would  seem  to  be  a barbarity,  and  yet  very  many 
sensible  and  affectionate  persons  educate  their 
children  from  very  early  years  to  this  same  unwise 
and  always  injurious  act,  by  teaching  them  that 
they  must  not  leave  anything  on  their  plate,  on  the 
plea  that  waste  is  always  wicked.  But  it  is  a much 
greater  waste  to  crowd  a mouthful  into  the  stomach 
when  there  is  no  appetite  for  it,  than  to  give  that 
same  mouthful  to  some  domestic  animal,  to  pig  or 
poultry,  or  the  faithful  dog.  If  no  such  animals 
are  about  the  house,  let  such  remnants  be  given  to 
the  poor,  or  buried  in  the  ground  to  enrich  the  soil, 
or,  if  thrown  in  the  garden,  some  insect  or  bird 
would  make  a glorious  feast  upon  it.  In  either  of 
these  ways,  every  particle  would  be  utilized  ; but 
when  crowded  into  an  unwilling  stomach,  it  not 
cnly  cannot  be  applied  to  the  beneficent  purposes 
named,  but  it  is  a positive  physical  injury  to  the 
child,  and  endangers  its  life,  because,  as  has  been 
already  stated,  when  there  is  no  sensation  of 


A CRYING  PARENTAL  FOLLY. 


79 


hunger,  it  is  because  there  are  no  juices  in  the 
Stomach  to  take  care  of  any  single  half-mouthful 
that  may  be  “ forced  ” into  it  by  being  swallowed 
without  a relish,  or  inclination,  or  appetite  ; and  in 
all  such  cases  it  undergoes  no  natural,  healthful, 
useful  change,  but  remains  a foreign  matter,  to 
irritate,  and  ii)flame,  and  shock  the  whole  system, 
ending  many  times  in  deranged  stomach  and 
bowels,  convulsions,  cholera  morbus,  and  death. 

A CRYING  PARENTAL  FOLLY 

is  to  compel  a child  to  eat  an  article  of  food  for 
which  he  has  no  appetite,  nay  may  have  a positive 
disgust  at  the  very  thought  of  swallowing  the  hated 
mouthful.  Parents  do  this  from  the  very  best  of 
motives,  thinking  that  it  would  add  to  the  child’s 
health  or  comfort  in  after-life  to  have  learned  to 
eat  the  article  in  question. 

It  is  just  as  great  an  outrage  to  compel  a man  to 
eat  a piece  of  fried  snake  as  to  compel  a child  to 
eat  a piece  of  fat  meat  when  his  stomach  revolts 
at  it ; the  inhumanity  of  it  is  greater,  because  the 
man  may  defend  himself,  while  the  child,  all  unre- 
sisting and  helpless,  is  made  to  comply  by  the  one 
whom  he  loves  best  in  all  the  world. 

The  instincts  of  childhood  should  be  held  in  a 
measure  sacred  to  them  ; and  it  may  be  safe  to 
say  that  what  nature  craves,  the  body  has  use  for ; 
what  nature  abhors,  the  same  body  has  no  use  for. 

Every  man  is  at  liberty  to  ride  any  hobby  he 
chooses  to  death ; if  he  wants  to  ride  it  to  his  own 


80 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


undoing,  he  may  have  the  right  to  do  it,  with  some 
restrictions ; but  to  u have  a theory,”  and  kill  his 
child  in  the  attempt  to  carry  it  out,  to  make  it 
practical,  is  not  to  be  applauded. 

If  a man  wishes  to  learn  his  child  to  relish  any 
article  of  food  which  he  does  not  relish  now,  a safe 
method  of  bringing  it  about  is  to  take  a long  walk 
or  ride,  far  from  any  human  habitation,  and  after 
the  child  has  been  some  time  complaining  of  being 
very  hungry,  present  the  article  in  question  to  him, 
and  let  him  taste  it  if  he  will,  and  in  a little  while 
taste  it  again ; in  this  way  he  may  be  educated  to 
love  it  in  a very  short  time.  The  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter  is  this  : to  compel  the  swallowing  of  a 
mouthful  of  food  against  the  appetite  or  inclination 
for  it,  is  certainly  a wicked  waste  of  that  much ; it 
gives  no  healthful  nourishment  to  the  body,  is  a 
violence  to  nature,  a shock  to  the  system,  and  invites 
loathsome,  painful,  and  even  fatal  maladies. 

YOUNG  LADIES’  EATING. 

Young  ladies’  boarding-schools  are  among  the 
greatest  afflictions  of  this  country.  Now  and  then 
one  is  found  which  is  conscientiously  conducted  in 
its  various  departments  ; but  their  influences,  as  a 
class,  are  pernicious  to  mind,  morals,  and  constitu- 
tion. It  is  to  the  last  named  the  reader’s  attention 
is  specially  directed. 

A gentleman  of  great  wealth  sent  a much  loved 
daughter  of  seventeen  to  a boarding-school  in  the 
East.  The  cookery,  the  quality  and  quantity  of 


YOUNG  LADIES’  EATING. 


81 


provisions,  were  such  as  to  drive  a number  of  the 
pupils  to  almost  desperate  practices ; the  gnawings 
of  hunger  were  often  such  that  they  banded  to- 
gether to  have  other  provisions  brought  secretly  to 
the  house ; the  result  was,  that  eating  something  at 
the  regular  meals  of  the  establishment  to  save  ap- 
pearances, and  also  their  own  provisions  “ between 
times,”  the  stomach  had  no  rest,  and  became  so 
dyspeptic  that  study  was  a misery  and  a mockery ; 
and  years  after,  when  the  lady  became  a mother, 
she  bewailed  to  the  writer  the  misfortune  that  had 
befallen  her,  and  from  which  she  was  still  suffering, 
and  had  no  other  prospect  than  carrying  it  with  her 
to  her  grave ; not  only  was  her  own  constitution 
impaired,  but  the  taint  of  it  was  passed  over  to  all 
her  children.  The  point  sought  to  be  impressed 
here  is  the  too  frequent  eating;  it  will  inevitably 
destroy  all  healthful  action  of  the  stomach  ; the 
result  of  which  is  bad  blood,  and  the  long  catalogue 
of  ailments  which  of  necessity  follow  in  the  train, 
and  which  were  enumerated  a few  pages  past. 

At  boarding-schools  a table  is  set  which  may  be 
good  in  quality,  and  answer  very  well  for  a single 
occasion  ; but  the  insufferable  sameness  of  dishes 
for  weeks  and  months  together,  which  is  constantly 
observable  in  most  of  these  establishments,  soon 
vails  upon  the  appetite,  and  the  pupil  many  a time 
leaves  the  table  without  being  able  to  eat  scarcely 
anything.  The  teachers  may  prepare  what  they 
think  is  suitable,  but  it  should  be  remembered  that 
in  these  schools  persons  of  different  temperaments 
6 


32 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


and  tastes,  coming  from  different  sections  of  the 
country,  cannot  be  expected  to  relish  the  same  kind 
of  food ; and  to  expect  them  to  eat  what  they  can- 
not partake  of  without  a species  of  compulsion  is 
unreasonable.  In  any  Collection  of  young  ladies 
there  may  be  peculiarities,  called,  by  medical  men, 
“ Idiosyncrasies,”  which  they  can  neither  dismiss 
nor  control ; and  in  schools,  as  well  as  in  other 
public  institutions,  the  head  managers  soon  become 
unsympathetic,  cold,  calculating,  and  heartless,  and 
in  just  that  proportion  are  unfit  to  have  control  over 
the  tender  consciences  and  feelings  of  the  young 
girl  just  from  under  a loving  mother’s  eye.  At 
home,  parental  affection  respects  these  peculiarities 
of  appetite,  and  wisely  humors  them.  Whatever  is 
placed  on  the  table  of  a boarding-school  must  be 
eaten  or  let  alone  ; and  the  pupil  is  forced  to  leave 
the  room  hungry,  the  only  alternative  being  to  ob- 
tain food  elsewhere  ; and  the  selection  is  sure  to 
be  unsuitable,  as  it  will  very  certainly  be  in  the 
shape  of  cakes,  candies,  and  other  sweetmeats, 
which  clog  the  stomach,  overtax  it,  and  destroy 
its  powers  for  life.  The  truth  of  the  main  state- 
ment, that  at  young  ladies’  boarding-schools  the 
food  is  not  in  sufficient  quantity  nor  variety  to 
answer  the  needs  of  the  pupils,  will  be  readily  sub- 
stantiated by  the  testimony  of  nine  girls  out  of  ten 
who  have  lived  in  these  establishments. 

This  subject  becomes  a matter  of  very  grave  im- 
portance when  it  is  taken  into  account  that  the  con- 
sequences of  becoming  a dyspeptic  at  school  are  to 


MORAL  EVILS  OF  BOARDING-SCHOOLS. 


8 6 


be  felt  by  tlie  future  husband ; by  children  yet 
unborn,  who  are,  as  a result,  to  be  brought  into  the 
world  with  impaired  constitutions,  with  hereditary 
maladies,  which  may  be  handed  over  to  remote 
generations ! 

A SICK  WIFE 

often  brings  pecuniary  ruin  to  the  ambitious  young 
husband,  who,  striving  to  get  ahead  in  the  world, 
finds  that  his  ailing  companion  not  only  keeps  him 
from  his  business,  but,  by  the  anxieties  in  refer- 
ence to  her  health,  his  mind  becomes  incompetent 
to  attend  to  his  affairs  as  ought  to  be  done.  In 
addition,  the  wife  being  an  invalid,  servants  take 
advantage  of  the  situation,  idle  away  their  time, 
neglect  their  duties,  waste  provisions,  and  soon  the 
house  is  no  home ; discouragement  and  despondency 
take  the  place  of  the  cheerful  hopefulness  of  the 
marriage  day;  excitements  are  sought  outside,  to 
drown  the  forebodings  of  the  hour  ; unsuitable  com- 
panionships are  formed  ; bad  habits  are  gradually 
fallen  into ; estrangements  and  recriminations  en- 
sue ; mutual  confidences  cease,  and  domestic,  social, 
and  pecuniary  ruin  follow  in  the  train.  Who  shall 
deny  that  histories  of  the  kind  are  constantly  being 
made,  like  the  one  narrated,  as  the  result  of  the 
discouragements  and  drawbacks  of  a sickly  young 
wife  ? 

MORAL  EVILS  OF  BOARDING-SCHOOLS. 

If  affectionate  parents  need  additional  reasons  for 
hesitating  to  send  their  daughters  to  a boarding- 


84 


ITOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


school,  they  are  found  in  the  direction  of  an  im- 
paired morality.  It  is  not  possible  to  prevent  young 
ladies,  who  are  thrown  together  in  the  equal  com- 
panionships of  the  boarding-school,  from  relieving 
themselves  of  its  tediousness  and  sameness  in  un- 
occupied hours,  by  reading  novels,  by  studying 
rivalries  in  dress,  and  talking  of  the  young  men  of 
their  acquaintance. 

NOVEL-READING. 

The  pernicious  effect  of  reading  novels  on  the 
mind  of  school  - girls  need  not  be  argued.  No 
intelligent  mind  can  doubt  it  for  a single  moment ; 
for,  besides  unfitting  them  for  the  details  of  dry 
study,  false  views  of  life  are  inculcated,  and  errone- 
ous ideas  as  to  morals  and  religion,  — ideas  not  in 
accordance  with  the  teachings  of  the  Sacred  Vol- 
ume, — and  such  are  everywhere  to  be  found  in 
works  of  fiction  in  every  age,  perhaps  more  espe- 
cially in  our  own.  It  is  impossible  for  a teacher  to 
keep  novels  out  of  the  boarding-school,  because  it 
is  a rule  of  fear,  and  they  will  be  smuggled  in : it 
is  useless  to  deny  this  proposition. 

FINE  DRESSES. 

Human  nature  must  be  changed,  if  the  subject 
of  dress  should  not  employ  a large  portion  of  the 
thoughts  of  young  ladies  at  school.  In  Germany, 
fhe  best  girl  schools  require  that  all  shall  be  dressed 
alike,  in  pretty  much  the  same  fabrics,  although  va- 
rious in  color,  and  make,  and  pattern ; the  daughter 


TALKING  ABOUT  THE  MEN. 


85 


of  the  mechanic,  the  farmer,  and  the  merchant 
dresses  as  do  the  children  of  the  titled  names  of  the 
country.  With  us,  all  dress  to  the  extent  of  their 
means ; and  when  a girl  finds  her  school-mate  at- 
tired more  expensively  than  herself,  she  becomes  at 
once  dissatisfied ; she  allows  it  to  be  a source  of 
constant  mortification  ; a feeling  of  inferiority  takes 
possession  of  her ; corresponding  representations 
are  sent  home ; too  indulgent  parents  strain  a point ; 
and  the  result  is,  that  in  the  matter  of  dress  alone, 
more  money  is  often  required  than  would  pay  the 
entire  expenses  of  tuition,  drawn,  too,  from  resources 
at  home  which  are  not  honestly  adequate.  Thou- 
sands of  struggling  parents  know  well  how  they 
have  practiced  painful  economies  and  even  humili- 
ating self-denials  for  many  months,  in  order  to 
meet  the  demands  made  upon  them ; and  thus  are 
foundations  laid  for  that  unreasoning  extravagance 
in  dress  which  is  to  be  followed  up  for  life,  and  in- 
culcated upon  the  children  yet  to  come,  — extrava- 
gances which  are  constantly  bringing  families,  first 
to  “ management,”  then  to  subterfuge,  to  equivocal 
practices,  to  downright  dishonesties,  to  shame,  to 
degradation,  and  to  unmistakable  poverty. 

TALKING  ABOUT  THE  MEN 

is  among  the  immoralities  of  the  female  boarding- 
school.  It  is  natural  to  do  so.  It  re  proper  for 
young  women  to  do  so.  But  to  such  things  there 
should  be  certain  u metes  and  bounds,”  beyond 
which  young  ladies  should  not  go ; but  beyond 


86 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


which,  very  far  beyond,  they  do  go,  because  it  is 
“ forbidden,”  which  constitutes  it  a sufficient  reason 
to  be  indulged  in,  in  the  present  state  of  human  na- 
ture ; and  the  more  it  can  be  indulged,  the  sweeter 
it  is.  This  is  so,  because  the  government  is  one  of 
hard,  dry  restraint ; of  cold  duty,  instead  of  love. 
It  is  very  true  that  these  same  things  transpire  at 
home,  immediately  under  a mother’s  supervision, 
but  nothing  like  to  the  extent  above  referred  to,  for 
there  is  always  the  angel  of  a mother’s  love  hover- 
ing over  home,  of  a mother’s  interest,  and  happi- 
ness, and  affection ; these  restrain  the  girl,  while  she 
imperceptibly  gathers  from  her  parents’  influences 
certain  feelings  of  propriety,  of  delicacy,  of  purity, 
which  are  not  found  in  the  school-room  or  under 
a stranger’s  roof. 


BROKEN  TIES. 

There  is  one  consideration  which  ought  to  over- 
shadow all  the  influences  that  prompt  to  the  sending 
of  young  girls  vho  h^ve  mothers  away  from  home 
to  obtain  an  education,  and  which  undoubtedly 
overbalances  all  the  supposed  advantages  of  such 
a step  : it  breaks  the  family  tie.  All  our  instincts 
rebel  against  the  separation  of  members  of  the  same 
household.  If  kept  together  until  marriage,  chil- 
dren naturally  grow  up  lovingly ; the  ground  for 
associations  is  laid,  the  very  remembrance  of  which 
throws  a hallowed  influence  over  all  after-life,  mak- 
ing us  look  back  to  our  father’s  house  and  its  sur- 
roundings with  the  purest  of  all  satisfactions ; im- 


MAIDENLY  PURITY. 


87. 


pelling  us,  too,  to  cast  our  eyes,  and  hopes,  and 
aspirations  toward  that  great  future  when  we  shall 
be  reunited,  a whole  family  in  heaven  ! It  is  al- 
together impossible  for  children  to  have  the  same 
pure  and  loving  affection  for  one  another  which 
they  ought  to  have,  and  would  have  if  kept  to- 
gether, and  which  they  will  not  have  if  separated 
for  many  months  at  a time,  — often  separated.  In 
addition,  parental  influence  is  lessened ; the  child’s 
love  is  chilled  ; affections  are  divided  ; new  attach- 
ments are  formed ; and,  to  a great  extent,  the 
daughter  is  weaned  from  father,  mother,  home,  and 
all  the  sacred  influences  which  should  be  insepara- 
ble from  it.  The  household  will  be  soon  enough 
broken  up  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances, 
without  our  hastening  the  sad  event  long  years  be- 
fore the  time,  thus  losing  these  long  years  of  sweet- 
ness, and  substituting  for  it  the  sacrifices  and  solici- 
tudes inseparable  from  a daughter  being  away  at 
school,  among  strangers. 

MAIDENLY  PURITY. 

There  is  a maidenly  reserve,  and  delicacy,  and 
sweetness,  and  purity  attached  to  girls  who  are  kept 
imder  a mother’s  eye  daily,  until  marriage,  which 
never  can  belong  to  those  who  are  brought  up  in 
boarding-schools,  simply  because  there  is  an  in- 
definable something  in  a mother’s  teachings,  a 
mother’s  magnetism,  which  a stranger  can  never 
possess.  .Besides  all  this,  the  mother  is  the  natural 
educator  of  the  daughter ; and  if  we  change  that 


88 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


relation,  harm  must  follow,  which  is  irreparable* 
not  merely  in  one,  but  in  many  directions. 

And  lest  what  has  been  said  might  not  be  enough 
to  decide  the  parent  who  reads  these  lines  against 
the  serious  error  of  sending  a daughter  away  from 
home  to  be  educated  at  the  very  period  when  the 
pure  white  page  is  just  opened  for  life-time  im- 
pressions, a single  fact  may  be  stated  which  means 
more  than  the  superficial  imagine,  because  it  car- 
ries with  it  considerations  not  altogether  proper  for 
this  place  ; and  it  is  this,  that  medical  men  who  have 
large  experiences  in  connection  with  these  estab- 
lishments, and  who  are  to  a great  extent,  and  ne- 
cessarily, made  the  father  confessors  of  those  whom 
they  attend  professionally,  have  not  failed  to  say 
that  boarding-schools  for  girls  and  young  ladies,  as 
a class,  are  ruinous  alike  to  the  physical  health  and 
moral  purity  of  those  who  attend  them,  as  a gen- 
eral rule.  But  even  with  this,  the  author  trem- 
blingly leaves  the  subject,  because  parental  pride  and 
ambition  come  in  and  whisper  something  about  im- 
proved manners,  and  acquaintanceships,  and  attach- 
ments, which  may  shape  the  future  life  advantage- 
ously ; meaning  thereby  that  by  going  to  a boarding- 
school  their  daughters  may  form  associations  which 
may  lead  to  a more  desirable  marriage  than  if  they 
remained  at  home  ; forgetting  for  the  moment  that 
the  trial  and  risk  are  great  enough  of  giving  away 
a daughter  into  the  hands  of  one  whom,  and  whose 
family  connections,  you  have  known  from  childhood ; 
but  how  much  greater  must  they  be  to  put  that 


THE  GIRL  AT  HOM^. 


8S 


daughter  out  of  your  protection,  and  beyond  your 
authority,  and  into  the  power  of  a young  man  of 
whose  very  existence  you  had  no  knowledge  until 
within  a year,  a month ! Better,  safer  far,  is  it  to 
bring  up  a daughter  who  in  her  innocence,  and 
purity,  and  culture,  shall  be  worthy  of  any  man,  and 
then  let  her  take  her  chances  at  home,  from  among 
the  families  you  have  all  known  from  childhood ; for 
let  it  be  remembered,  that  no  young  man’s  qualities 
and  character  can  ever  be  so  well  known,  so  fully 
appreciated,  as  by  the  neighbors,  and  friends,  and 
associates  among  whom  he  has  been  brought  up. 
Long  years  of  personal  association  must  pass  before 
you  can  as  well  understand  the  character  of  a stran- 
ger, if  ever,  as  of  those  who  have  lived  in  the  same 
neighborhood,  the  same  village,  or  town,  or  city. 

THE  GIRL  AT  HOME. 

It  is  a perfect  martyrdom  for  a mother  to  see  her 
children  growing  up  under  her  very  eyes  the  vic- 
tims of  painful  maladies  or  of  slowly  fatal  diseases ; 
the  dreadful  neuralgia,  the  agonizing  asthma,  the 
sure  killing  consumption,  — its  hoarse,  hollow  cough, 
every  sound  of  which,  from  the  most  distant  room, 
strikes  a pang  into  the  mother’s  heart,  and  how  she 
listens  to  it  in  an  agony  of  foreboding  through 
the  livelong  hours  of  the  weary  night,  — and  the 
clammy,  grave-like  night-sweats,  in  the  progress  of 
weary  weeks  and  months  ; how  she  witnesses  them 
morning  after  morning  sapping  away  the  very  life 
itself ; to  know  that  there  is  no  remedy,  and  that 


90 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT. 


the  malady,  like  a mountain  avalanche,  moves 
slowly  onward,  and  that  no  power  short  of  that 
which  made  all  worlds  can  arrest  its  resistless  prog< 
ress,  not  for  a minute  of  time ; and  yet 

CONSUMPTION 

is  sown  in  the  constitution  during  the  teens, 
while  the  child  is  under  the  parental  roof,  in  three 
cases  out  of  four,  and  which  was  avertible.  The 
same  may  be  said  of  dyspepsia ; the  foundation 
of  most  of  the  cases  is  laid  while  children  are  at 
school,  under  parental  control ; and  it  is  done 
through 


ERRORS  OF  EATING 

at  home,  which  are  gradually  fallen  into  and  prac- 
ticed, until  imperceptibly  diseases  creep  in  and  bur- 
row in  the  system  secretly.  In  very  many  cases 
the  constitution  is  undermined,  and  the  health  of 
the  whole  body  irreparably  impaired,  before  any 
danger  is  perceived ; and  then,  when  too  late,  the 
parents  wake  up  to  the  impending  calamity,  and 
spend  large  amounts  of  money  in  seeking  medical 
advice  from  eminent  men,  in  trying  the  benefits  of 
this  system  of  practice  and  that  system  ; then  long 
journeys  are  taken,  first  at  home  and  then  abroad, 
but  how  vainly,  many,  very  many  know,  and,  with 
breaking  hearts,  are  willing  to  acknowledge ; for  at 
last,  the  loved  ones  come  home  only  to  die. 


THE  INSIDIOUS  ENEMY. 


91 


THE  INSIDIOUS  ENEMY. 

Impairments  of  the  constitutions  of  our  children! 
usually  foreshadow  themselves  in  an  irregularity  of 
appetite  at  breakfast,  generally  no  appetite  at  all. 
When  this  is  first  observed,  there  is  no  disease,  but 
simply  a functional  disorder,  a temporary  derange- 
ment of  the  stomach,  which  does  not  even  require 
medicine,  and  is  very  easily  remedied.  Thus : 
when  a child  is  noticed  to  eat  but  very  little  break- 
fast, simply  require  that  nothing  whatever  be  eaten 
until  the  regular  dinner  time  ; let  dinner  be  con- 
fined to  a piece  of  bread  ajid  butter,  a piece  of 
meat,  one  vegetable,  and  half  a glass  of  water,  and 
nothing  else,  nor  anything  more  until  tea  time, 
which  should  consist  of  a single  piece  of  cold  bread 
and  butter  and  a cup  of  any  kind  of  warm  drink, 
perhaps  half  and  half  of  boiled  water  and  boiled  milk, 
mixed  after  the  boiling,  with  sweetening  to  suit,  and 
not  a particle  besides  until  next  morning. 

The  hour  for  retiring  should  be  ten  o’clock  in 
summer  and  nine  in  winter,  leaving  the  bed  at  the 
end  of  nine  hours  at  farthest.  An  hour  after  dress- 
ing has  been  completed,  a breakfast  should  be  taken 
■>f  one  cup  of  weak  coffee  or  black  tea,  one  piece  of 
bread  and  butter,  and  one  piece  of  meat,  or  a soft 
boiled  egg,  or  a dish  of  berries  in  their  natural  raw 
state,  without  cream , or  milk,  or  sugar ; or  as  much 
of  the  above  as  there  is  an  appetite  for,  not  urging 
to  eat  a mouthful  beyond  the  inclination. 

A while  after  breakfast,  let  several  hours  be 


92 


HOW  MUCH  TO  EAT., 


spent  in  the  open  air,  in  walking  or  riding  with 
lively  companions,  or  in  shopping  if  in  the  city ; if 
in  the  country,  and  the  weather  and  season  are 
suitable,  the  same  time  spent  on  horseback,  or  in 
visiting  a neighbor’s  family  several  miles  away,  or 
in  berrying  ; in  short,  in  any  exhilarating  occupation 
or  employment  in  the  open  air ; and  in  proportion 
as  there  is  a pleasurable  object  in  view,  the  advan- 
tages will  be  very  greatly  increased.  Let  the  dinner 
be  the  same  as  on  the  preceding  day,  with  one  or 
two  hours  of  out-door  activities  in  the  afternoon, 
whether  in  work  or  games,  or  other  agreeable  pas- 
times, with  te'a  as  on  the  preceding  day.  Continue 
this  course  until  your  daughter  can  eat  a hearty 
breakfast  in  a joyous  mood,  and  then  she  is  well, 


CHAPTER  V. 


REGULARITY  IN  EATING, 

To  sliow  on  what  a little  thing  human  health  and 
happiness  and  even  life  sometimes  depend,  the  re- 
sults of  an  opposite  course,  one  taken  every  day  in 
multitudes  of  families,  the  following  narration  may 
illustrate.  The  daughter  leaves  the  breakfast  table, 
having;  eaten  little  or  nothing.  The  mother  notices 
it  with  more  or  less  concern,  and  perhaps  makes  a 
remark  about  it,  ending  in  advising  to  take  some- 
thing, or  perhaps  suggests  that  some  more  inviting 
dish  be  prepared.  The  child  has  not  eaten,  because 
she  is  not  hungry ; and  every  mouthful  swallowed 
under  such  circumstances  does  so  much  more  to  in- 
sure an  attack  of  sickness  within  a few  days.  But 
the  child  who  has  no  appetite  for  breakfast  gets  hun- 
gry enough  a few  hours  later ; and  the  mistaken 
mother  is  glad  enough  to  have  her  eat  heartily,  with 
this  most  deceptive  impression  in  her  mind,  that 
hearty  eating  and  health  necessarily  go  together. 
Thus  the  real  breakfast  is  taken  several  hours  after 
the  time,  with  the  result  that  dinner  comes  before 
breakfast  has  been  digested,  and  there  is  no  more 
appetite  for  dinner  than  there  was  for  breakfast; 
that  comes  later  in  the  afternoon.  And  so  all 


94 


REGULARITY  IN  EATING. 


the  meals  are  interfered  with,  and  the  system  suf- 
fers. Perhaps  it  was  the  late  supper  at  home,  or 
at  a party,  which  caused  the  want  of  appetite  for 
breakfast. 

nature’s  habits. 

So  strong  is  the  inclination  of  the  human  system 
to  fall  into  regularity  of  movement  and  action,  that 
sometimes  the  repetition  of  a thing  for  two  or  three 
days  in  succession  causes  a looking  for  or  a requir- 
ing of  that  thing  at  the  same  hour  on  the  next 
day ; and  before  we  know  it,  a habit  may  be  formed 
which  is  to  last  for  life,  which  is  to  color  our  whole 
subsequent  existence  for  time,  and  beyond  also,  as 
witness  the  manner  in  which  countless  multitudes 
have  been  inveigled  into  chewing  and  smoking, 
into  opium-eating  and  unconquerable  drunkenness. 

If  a person  living  in-doors  sleeps  to-day  at  a par- 
ticular hour,  and  has  nothing  exciting  to-morrow, 
he  will  discover  that  about  the  same  hour  he  will 
begin  to  get  drowsy  again  ; and  if  yielded  to,  he  will 
find  himself  in  the  regular  habit  of  an  afternoon 
nap,  which  cannot  be  broken  up  without  an  effort. 
Thus  it  is  with  all,  and  especially  the  young : if  for 
a very  few  days  there  is  no  appetite  for  breakfast, 
but  something  is  taken  an  hour  or  two  or  more 
later,  it  will  soon  be  a common  thing  to  require  a 
second  breakfast  to  be  prepared;  and,  as  has  just 
been  stated,  the  regular  dinner  hour  coming  on  be- 
fore the  stomach  has  passed  the  breakfast  out  of  it, 
it  is  set  to  work  without  any  rest,  cannot  discharge 


NATURE'S  HABITS. 


95 


its  duty  by  the  dinner,  and  it  being  imperfectly 
changed  into  the  condition  suitable  for  imparting 
nourishment  to  the  system,  that  nourishment  is  not 
distributed,  proper  strength  is  not  given,  and  very 
soon  there  is  a falling  away  in  flesh,  a decline  in 
general  vigor;  the  spirits  become  depressed,  the 
whole  body  has  lost  its  elasticity ; its  power  of  re- 
sisting the  causes  of  various  diseases  is  lost,  and 
the  victim  falls  an  easy  prey  to  maladies  more  or 
less  painful,  dangerous,  or  incurable.  In  a short 
time  there  is  a complaint  of  cold  feet,  of  being  eas- 
ily chilled ; “ The  least  thing  in  the  world  gives 
me  a cold ; ” headaches  come  on,  the  appetite  be- 
comes fitful ; some  article  of  food  is  wanted,  and,  if 
not  prepared  in  an  unreasonably  short  time,  it  is 
not  wanted,  or,  if  eaten,  it  “ turns  sour,”  or  large 
quantities  of  wind  form  in  the  stomach,  and  there 
are  alternate  gurglings,  disagreeable  eructations, 
and  unseemly  belchings.  At  other  times  a scalding 
sensation  is  experienced  at  the  little  hollow  in  front, 
at  the  bottom  of  the  neck,  just  at  the  top  of  the 
breast-bone,  — some  call  it  heart- burn  ; to  others 
there  is  a raw  sensation  from  the  stomach  up  along 
the  centre  of  the  breast  to  the  throat ; others  have 
an  unmanageable  turmoil  in  the  bowels,  or  wrench- 
ing pains.  In  short,  the  symptoms  which  attend  the 
various  forms  of  beginning  dyspepsia  in  the  systems 
of  young  persons  who  get  into  the  habit  of  eating 
at  other  times  than  at  the  regular  meals  of  families, 
are  endless  in  their  variety  and  in  their  combina- 
tions ; but  whatever  may  be  the  order  of  their  ap- 


96 


REGULARITY  IN  EATING. 


pearance,  or  the  nature  and  changeableness  of  these 
combinations,  one  result  is  perfectly  certain,  unless 
the  habits  are  changed  ; and  that  is  a ruined  con- 
stitution, a wasted  life,  and  a premature  death. 
The  time  to  prevent  all  this,  and  at  a little  cost  of 
effort,  is  when  a child  is  observed  not  to  Avant  any 
breakfast ; it  is  always  the  harbinger  of  disease,  of 
something  which  will  endanger,  if  not  destroy  life 
in  a few  days,  or  will  undermine  the  system,  and 
lay  the  foundation  of  some  slow  disease  which  will 
imbitter  all  subsequent  life. 

AN  INFALLIBLE  REMEDY, 

in  every  case,  is  the  prompt,  decisive,  and  persist- 
ent action  of  the  parent  in  carrying  out  the  sug- 
gestions on  page  ninety  one. 

A BAD  FAMILY  HABIT, 

where  children  are  growing  up,  is  having  any 
eatables  easily  accessible  to  the  child.  If  by  the 
opening  of  a closet  or  cupboard  door,  a piece  of 
cake  is  always  at  hand,  or  an  orange,  or  apple,  or 
any  other  eatable,  the  temptation  is  too  strong  for 
a hungry  child  not  to  avail  itself  of  the  opportunity  ; 
and  with  the  suggestion,  “ It  can’t  hurt  me,”  some- 
thing is  eaten,  and  the  first  step  is  taken  to  break  in 
upon  the  needed  rest  of  the  stomach,  to  end  in  its 
entire  perversion  of  function,  and  this  to  be  followed 
by  some  one  of  the  long  catalogue  of  ailments  de- 
tailed on  page  76,  as  the  results  of  a diseased 
condition  of  the  digestive  functions. 


PERILS  OF  EATING. 


97 


It  is  not  intended  to  advise  that  no  cake  or  fruits 
should  be  kept  about  the  house  to  offer  friends  who 
call,  or  for  other  purposes,  but  so  to  arrange  that 
these  things  shall  not  be  accessible  to  children, 
whether  of  nine  or  nineteen,  without  very  consid- 
erable trouble.  A parent’s  duty  is  to  keep  tempta- 
tion out  of  the  way  of  the  young,  especially  temp- 
tations connected  with  the  appetite  for  eating  some- 
thing. And  here  is  an  admirable  opportunity  of 
teaching  the  young  to 

ACT  FROM  PRINCIPLE. 

It  would  be  going  only  half  way  to  keep  little  del- 
icacies under  lock  and  key,  even  if  that  lock  and 
key  were  the  injunction  never  to  taste  them  with- 
out permission ; but  explain  to  them  the  object  of 
the  restraint ; show  them  plainly  how  such  things 
lead  to  hurtful  habits,  which,  if  persisted  in,  may 
lay  the  foundation  for  sickness  and  suffering,  and 
may  even  endanger  life.  In  this  way  an  important 
advance  may  be  made  in  educating  the  young  to 
act  from  principle ; and  when  that  is  done,  the  child 
is  safe,  and,  if  mature  life  is  reached,  will  be  influ- 
ential, honorable,  and  useful. 

PERILS  OF  EATING. 

A very  bright,  handsome,  gentlemanly  youth  of 
ten,  tne  pride  of  a widowed  mother,  known  to  the 
writer,  died  after  a few  hours’  illness  in  conse- 
quence of  eating  a number  of  hard-boiled  eggs. 
Children  have  often  been  thrown  into  convulsions 

7 


98 


REGULARITY  IN  EATING. 


from  eating  largely  of  some  one  thing,  which  per- 
haps they  had  not  tasted  for  a long  time.  A safe 
injunction  for  all  children  is,  not  to  eat  much  of 
any  one  thing,  however  plain  and  simple  or  familiar 
it  may  be.  Ice-cream  is  a luxury,  and  a safe  one, 
if  eaten  leisurely,  in  moderate  quantities  ; and  yet 
a young  girl  from  one  of  the  interior  counties  of 
Pennsylvania  died  in  an  hour  or  two  after  eating 
ice-cream,  the  thirteenth  saucerful. 

It  may  be  often  noticed  at  the  family  table  that 
a child  will  be  asked  to  be  helped  to  some  partic- 
ular dish  several  times  in  succession.  If  indulged, 
the  child  will  be  either  taken  sick,  or,  foundering 
itself,  will  not  touch  it  again  for  months  or  even 
years.  On  this  point  parents  ought  to  exercise  a 
watchful  care,  and  never  help  a child 

TO  A THIRD  DISH, 

and  not  even  the  second  if  under  a dozen  years. 
It  is  far  safer  to  direct  attention  to  some  other 
dish.  But  after  all,  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that 
the  more  frequent  cause  of  disease  of  all  kinds  in 
children  under  age  is 

IRREGULAR  AND  FREQUENT  EATING. 

And  next  to  that  is  allowing  them  to  eat  heart- 
ily  of  any  tiling,  under  any  circumstances,  later 
than  sundown,  except  at  a children’s  party,  when 
Derhaps  the  exercise  of  the  body  and  the  exhilara- 
tion of  the  mind,  in  connection  with  goir/g  home 
after  it  is  all  over,  would  antagonize  the  ordinary 
effects  of  a late  and  hearty  meal. 


CHAPTER  YI. 


HOW  TO  EAT. 

The  common  vice  of  our  people  in  the  United 
States,  in  both  town  and  country,  in  city  and  vil- 
lage, among  old  and  young,  rich  and  poor,  is  rapid 
eating,  when  the  stomach,  like  a dark  bottle  which 
is  attempted  to  be  filled  with  a funnel,  gets  full,  and 
overruns  before  one  knows  it.  There  are  two  ill 
effects  from  hasty  feeding ; the  food  expands  con- 
siderably, both  by  increased  warmth  and  by  its  be- 
ing divided  and  liauefied,  so  that  if  the  stomach  is 
not  full  when  one  ceases  to  eat,  it  will  be  full 
enough  in  a very  few  minutes  by  the  heating  and 
liquefying  process ; thus  it  happens  when  a person 
is  called  from  the  table,  he  may  feel  as  if  he  could 
very  easily  have  eaten  more,  but  if  detained  a very 
few  minutes,  he  comes  back,  feeling  that  he  does 
not  want  to  taste  another  particle,  and  ofttimes  ex- 
presses himself  impatiently  about  his  dinner  being 
“ spoiled,”  when  the  truth  is,  his  food  has  been  en- 
larged in  bulk  by  the  necessary  preparation  which 
it  has  undergone,  thus  making  the  stomach  full 
enough  for  all  healthful  purposes,  and  full  enough 
for  comfort.  If  a meal  is  eaten  with  great  delib- 
eration, this  expanding,  heating,  liquefying  process 
begins  and  keeps  pace  with  the  meal,  and  the  man 
loes  not  feel  like  a gorged  anaconda.  The  English 


100 


HOW  TO  EAT. 


people  thus  eat,  as  a nation  ; they  give  themselves 
time  to  enjoy  their  food,  to  experience  the  pleasure 
of  its  taste,  and  make  eating  a gratification  ; while 
we  Americans,  in  multitudes  of  cases,  look  at  it  as  a 
thing  to  be  gotten  through  with,  — as  a task  which 
has  to  be  performed,  and  the  quicker  the  better. 

Healthful  digestion  is  sometimes  described  as  a 
churning  process  ; the  muscles  are  in  continual  mo- 
tion, pressing  the  food  forward  in  a kind  of  circular 
direction ; and  to  do  this,  there  must  be  room  for  a 
“ purchase,”  — a point  to  push  from  and  an  open 
field  to  push  to,  so  that  it  is  easily  seen  that  when 
there  is  an  unnatural  distention,  there  is  no  more 
room  for  work  than  for  a man  so  beset  by  a crowd 
that  he  cannot  move  his  arms  from  contact  with 
the  body.  There  being  no  room  for  work,  the  food 
cannot  be  properly  manipulated,  is  kept  longer  than 
nature  designed,  becomes  sour,  generates  wind ; 
this  further  increases  the  distention  ; and  the  result 
is  long  hours  of  uncomfortableness,  which  dyspep- 
tics, and  heavy  feeders,  and  rapid  eaters  have  intel- 
ligent experience  of.  One  avenue  of  relief  under 
the  circumstances  is  an  unnatural  heat ; a fever  is 
created  which  causes  an  evaporation  of  the  more 
watery  portions  of  the  mass,  while  the  wind  gen- 
erated is  gulped  up  in  indecent  belchings,  or  is 
passed  off  in  another  direction,  the  whole  “ tran- 
saction” so  prostrating  the  system  and  exhausting 
its  power  that  the  glutton  is  fit  for  nothing  during 
the  remainder  of  the  day  ; the  whole  body  is  in  too 
great  a state  of  uneasiness  to  rest ; the  victim 


CHEW  FOOD  DELIBERATELY. 


101 


vainly  seeks  relief  in  uneasy  and  fitful  movements 
from  sofa  to  window,  from  one  room  to  another,  al- 
ternating with  strong  potations,  which  only  protract 
the  discomforts,  and  ne  ver  cure  or  remove  them. 

Another  ill  result  of  rapid  eating  is  that  the  food 
is  swallowed  in  too  large  pieces ; time  is  not  taken 
to  divide  it  properly  with  the  teeth,  and  hence  it 
requires  such  a long  time  to  be  “ melted  up,”  to  be 
dissolved,  that  it  begins  to  rot  before  it  can  be 
passed  out  of  the  stomach,  and  thus  all  the  pur- 
poses of  eating  are  frustrated  ; and,  in  addition, 
not  having  been  acted  upon  properly  and  promptly, 
the  odor  of  carrion  begins  to  be  generated,  and  the 
breath  of  the  individual  is  simply  disgusting. 

CHEW  FOOD  DELIBERATELY, 

because  bits  of  food  in  the  stomach  are  like  pieces 
of  ice  in  a glass  of  water : the  ice  is  melted  in 
thin  layers  from  without  inward,  and  any  one 
can  see  that  the  pieces  of  ice  disappear  with  a ra- 
pidity proportioned  to  their  smallness,  and  with  the 
same  rapidity  is  the  wrater  cooled.  Precisely  so  is  it 
with  the  particles  of  food  in  the  stomach : each  one 
is  acted  upon  on  the  outer  surface  by  the  gastric 
mice  in  wdiich  it  floats  ; and  if  each  piece  has  been 
slowly  and  leisurely  chewed  with  good  teeth,  it  en- 
ters the  stomach  so  well  divided  or  cut  up  that  it 
;s  taken  hold  of  by  the  gastric  juice,  and  wholly 
lissolved  in  a very  short  time.  If  in  large  pieces, 
It  requires  such  a long  time  to  be  dissolved  that  the 
rotting  process  commences  as  before  described. 


102 


HOW  TO  EAT. 


This  putrefaction  of  food  takes  place  in  all  cases 
where  it  remains  in  the  stomach  over  five  or  six 
hours  after  it  has  been  eaten,  not  only  with  the 
disgusting  results  already  stated,  but,  in  addition, 
consequences  more  or  less  hurtful,  painful,  danger- 
ous, and  even  deadly  are  sure  to  follow ; such  as 
writhing  pains  in  the  stomach  or  bowels,  feelings  of 
oppression,  distention,  shortness  of  breath,  almost  ap- 
proaching a kind  of  suffocation  or  smothering ; the 
stomach  is  made  uneasy  by  the  wind  accumulating 
within  it,  thus  pressing  upward  against  the  lungs, 
interfering  with  the  breathing  ; and  as  the  heart  is 
enveloped  hy  the  lungs,  covered  over  and  all  around 
by  the  lungs,  its  action  is  impeded,  and  it  struggles 
and  palpitates,  sometimes  bringing  on  convulsions 
and  fatal  apoplexies.  So  much  for  swallowing  large 
bits  of  food,  as  far  as  the  stomach  is  concerned. 
Sometimes  this  much  abused  organ  seems  to  act  as 
if  it  had  a living,  reasoning  intelligence  ; for  after 
vainly  striving  to  manage  the  food,  and  not  suc- 
ceeding, it  almost  seems  to  make  the  attempt  to 
thrust  it  out  in  anger,  to  be  willing  to  get  rid  of  it  on 
any  terms,  by  pushing  it  out  of  itself  into  the  lower 
bowel.  Thus  it  is  that  multitudes  have  noticed 
sometimes  that  what  has  been  passed  from  them  is 
made  up  of  bits  of  food  unchanged,  which  had  been 
swallowed  many  hours  before;  when  such  ♦ thing 
is  noticed,  it  will  never  fail  to  be  observed  that  va 
rious  disagreeable  symptoms  have  manifested  them- 
selves; for  these  bits  of  food,  with  their  jagged 
edges  and  points,  cause  considerable  irritation  in 


CHEW  FOOD  DELIBERATELY. 


103 


passing  over  and  along  the  tender  coating  of  the 
bowels,  sometimes  making  them  bleed,  and  then  we 
have  painful  and  dangerous  dysenteries  ; at  other 
times  they  cause  great  irritation,  producing  watery 
discharges  called  diarrhoea,  which  if  aggravated  by 
the  person  persisting  to  keep  up,  and  on  the  feet, 
cholera  in  its  most  dangerous  forms  has  followed 
in  millions%of  cases.  In  multitudes  of  cases  this  is 
the  identical  cause  of  children  and  grown  persons 
being  surprised  in  the  night  with  troublesome  diar- 
rhoeas, running  in  a very  few  hours,  in  cholera  times, 
into  violent  cholera.  In  the  case  of  little  children, 
the  parent  ignorantly  runs  to  the  brandy  bottle  or 
to  the  vial  of  paregoric,  or  laudanum,  or  some 
wretch’s  44  soothing  syrup,”  which  often  act  with 
charming  rapidity  in  changing  the  condition  of  the 
bowels,  and  the  young  mother  blesses  the  inventor 
of  the  soothing  syrup  as  a witch  or  first  cousin  to 
Solomon  ; a few  hours  later  the  child  has  convul- 
sions ; in  a day  or  two,  water  on  the  brain.  There 
is  not  an  educated  physician  in  the  nation  who 
does  not  know  that  such  is  the  history  of  the  last 
sickness  and  death  of  multitudes  of  children  every 
year ; swallowing  food  in  too  large  lumps,  this 
bringing  on  an  alarming  looseness  of  the  bowels, 
being  Nature’s  efforts  to  get  rid  of  the  offending 
mass  as  soon  as  possible ; but  ignorance  steps  in  to 
interfere  with  Nature,  thwarts  her  in  her  wise  and 
Kindly  efforts,  arrests  the  diarrhoea,  and  kills  the 
victim. 


104 


HOW  TO  EAT. 


LET  THE  CHILDREN  ALONE. 

Children  and  hirelings,  the  world  over,  are  a 
long  time  at  their  meals,  and,  if  let  alone,  always 
eat  them  in  uproariousness,  in  a freedom  of  con- 
versation and  a merriment  of  mood  which  is  as  wise 
as  it  is  healthful.  For  many  ages  in  the  past  his- 
tory of  the  world,  a jester  was  an  indispensable 
concomitant  of  the  feast  ; as  much  a part  of  it  as 
the  roasted  pig,  or  turkey,  or  mutton,  or  steak,  or 
plum-puddings  ; a better  exhilarant  than  wine  itself ; 
and  yet  there  are  many  parents  who  are  so  mis- 
taken in  their  notions,  so  bent  upon  instilling  into 
the  minds  of  their  children  the  staidness  and  pro- 
prieties which  even  age,  with  all  its  accumulated 
wisdom,  would  resent  at  the  feast  table,  that 
scarcely  a smile  or  a joke  is  ever  permitted.  Very 
many  parents,  in  order  to  teach  their  children  “ ta- 
ble manners,5’  make  it  a point  to  have  them  take 
their  seats  with  grown  persons,  at  even  four  and 
five  years  of  age,  where  the  poor  little  things  are 
so  hampered  with  previous  injunctions  that  they 
dare  not  even  squeak ; they  feel  themselves  bound 
in  adamantine  chains  ; and  the  dinner  table,  which 
ought  to  be,  of  all  others,  a place  of  gladness  and 
unrestrained  mirth,  is  made  a penance  and  a bore 
to  the  joyous  heart  of  childhood.  The  writer  ac- 
knowledges to  have  on  one  occasion,  and  as  often 
as  thought  of  since,  experienced  a sensation  of  deep 
sadness  in  connection  with  the  following  incident, 
narrated  literally.  A beautiful  little  girl  of  five 


LET  THE  CHILDREN  ALONE. 


105 


years,  and  as  sweet  as  beautiful,  was  allowed  to  be 
taken  by  the  servant  to  visit  a lady  whom  the  lit- 
tle thing  was  proud  and  glad  to  see.  The  mother 
knew  that  the  child  would  be  presented  with  some- 
thing nice  to  eat,  but  parted  from  her  darling  with 
this  injunction:  “Be  sure,  my  little  pet,  not  to  do 
anything  that  is  not  proper.”  The  little  child  was 
brought  into  the  parlor  and  placed  on  a chair,  while 
the  nurse  retired  outside  into  the  hall.  In  due 
time  the  young  visitor  was  supplied  with  a delight- 
ful apple,  healthful,  soft,  and  juicy,  which  was  eaten 
with  great  relish.  After  a considerable  time  spent 
in  silence,  restlessness,  and  apparent  deliberation, 
the  little  thing  was  noticed  to  be  making  a desper- 
ate effort  at  some  deliverance.  At  last  it  came 
thus  wise  : “ Aunty  Harper,  do  you  think  it  would 
be  proper  for  me  to  ask  you  for  another  apple  ? ” 

To  hold  such  tyrannies  over  children  in  connec- 
tion with  their  eating,  is  against  all  reason  and  com- 
mon sense.  Let  them  alone  in  their  eating ; leave 
them  to  their  instincts,  to  their  natural  mirth,  and 
joyousness,  and  harmless  chattings  ; these  will  prove 
a more  effectual  preventive  of  fast  eating  than  all 
the  parental  injunctions  of  a young  life-time.  Chil- 
dren should  be  allowed  to  eat  with  children,  with 
their  equals,  at  least  in  unrestraint ; for  it  prevents 
excesses,  it  promotes  digestion,  insures  health,  and 
makes  of  eating  what  a wise  and  kind  Providence 
n tended  it  should  be,  the  means  of  life  and  a daily 
source  of  enjoyment,  pleasure,  and  happiness. 

Let  your  children  alone  when  they  gather 


106 


HOW  TO  EAT. 


around  the  family  table  ; it  is  a cruelty  to  hamper 
them  with  manifold  rules  and  regulations  about  this, 
and  that,  and  the  other.  As  long  as  their  conduct 
is  harmless  as  to  others,  encourage  them  in  their 
cheeriness.  If  they  do  smack  their  lips,  and  their 
suppings  of  milk  and  other  drinks  can  be  heard 
across  the  street,  it  does  not  hurt  the  street : let 
them  alone.  What  if  they  do  take  their  soup  with 
the  wrong  end  of  the  fork  ? it  is  all  the  same  to  the 
fork : let  them  alone. 

Suppose  a child  does  not  sit  as  straight  as  a ram- 
rod at  the  table  ; suppose  a cup  or  tumbler  slips 
through  its  little  fingers  and  deluges  the  plate  of 
food  below,  and  the  goblet  is  smashed,  and  the  table- 
cloth is  ruined : do  not  look  a thousand  scowls 
and  thunders,  and  scare  the  poor  thing  to  the  bal- 
ance of  its  death,  for  it  was  scared  half  to  death 
before  ; it  “ didn’t  go  to  do  it.”  Did  you  never  let 
a glass  slip  through  your  fingers  since  you  were 
grown?  Instead  of  sending  the  child  away  from 
the  table  in  anger,  if  not  even  with  a threat,  for 
this  or  any  other  little  nothing,  be  as  generous 
as  you  would  to  an  equal  or  superior  guest,  to 
whom  you  would  say,  with  a more  or  less  obse- 
quious smile,  “ It’s  of  no  possible  consequence.” 
That  would  be  the  form  of  expression  even  to  a 
stranger  guest,  and  yet  to  your  own  child  you  re- 
morselessly, and  revengefully,  and  angrily  mete 
out  a swift  punishment,  which  for  the  time  almost 
breaks  its  little  heart,  and  belittles  you  amazingly. 
The  proper  and  more  efficient  and  more  Christian 


HEALTHFUL  FEEDING  OF  CHILDREN. 


107 


method  of  meeting  the  mishaps  and  delinquencies 
and  improprieties  of  your  children  at  the  table  is 
either  to  take  no  notice  of  them  at  the  time,  or  to 
go  further,  and  divert  attention  from  them  at  the 
very  instant,  if  possible,  or  make  a kind  apology 
for  them ; but  afterwards  in  an  hour  or  two,  or, 
better  still,  next  day,  draw  the  child’s  attention  to 
the  fault,  if  fault  it  was,  in  a friendly  and  loving 
manner ; point  out  the  impropriety  in  some  kindly 
way  ; show  where  it  was  wrong  or  rude,  and  appeal 
to  the  child’s  self-respect  or  manliness.  This  is 
the  best  way  to  correct  all  family  errors.  Some- 
times it  may  not  succeed  ; sometimes  harsh  meas- 
ures may  be  required  ; but  try  the  deprecating  or 
the  kindly  method  with  perfect  equanimity  of  mind, 
and  failure  will  be  of  rare  occurrence. 

The  prominent  and  practical  points  to  be  borne 
in  mind  in  connection  with  the 

HEALTHFUL  FEEDING  OF  CHILDREN, 

of  all  ages,  are  Regularity,  Deliberation,  Unre- 
straint, Cheerfulness. 

There  are  two  subjects  which,  being  almost  al- 
ways more  or  less  directly  connected  with  the  im- 
proper eating  of  children,  may  very  appropriately 
be  brought  in  at  this  place,  especially  as  they  are  at 
the  very  foundation,  the  very  beginnings,  of  the  un- 
dermining of  the  constitution  of  girls  at  home,  and 
which  unremoved  will  imbitter  the  remainder  of 
ife  physically  and  mentally. 


108 


HOW  TO  EAT. 


COLD  FEET  AND  HEADACHE, 
are  more  often  complained  of  in  a family  of 
growing  up  and  grown  daughters  than  any  other 
two  maladies  in  the  whole  catalogue  of  human  ail- 
ments. These  are  more  specially  treated  under 
their  separate  heads  in  my  book  on  “ Health  and 
Disease,”  but  they  are  named  in  the  present  con- 
nection in  order  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  moth- 
ers especially  that,  — 

First,  no  child  can  be  well  who  is  troubled  with 
cold  feet ; and  if  the  symptom  is  not  removed  per- 
manently, such  a daughter  is  pretty  certain  to  die 
of  consumption  before  she  reaches  the  age  of  thirty 
years.  Hence,  a wise  parent  will  spare  no  pains  to 
remedy  the  trouble,  for  it  is  a very  common  be- 
ginning of  consumption,  and  it  will  be  difficult 
enough  to  remove  the  symptom  in  its  very  earliest 
stages  ; but  if  delayed,  it  is  a herculean  task,  and  is 
seldom  accomplished,  trifling  as  the  symptom  may 
appear.  Cold  feet  many  times  ushers  in  croup,  in- 
flammation of  the  lungs,  diphtheria,  scarlet  fever, 
and  putrid  sore  throat,  any  of  which  may  kill  with- 
in forty-eight  hours ; hence  the  moment  a child 
complains  of  cold  feet,  day  or  night,  winter  or 
summer,  a wise  parent  will  be  alarmed,  will  take 
immediate  measures  to  have  the  condition  rectified, 
and  ought  not  to  rest  satisfied  until  the  work  is 
done,  and  the  danger  removed.  No  one  can  be  well 
whose  feet  are  not  comfortably  warm  all  the  time. 


HEADACHE. 


109 


HEADACHE, 

in  children  under  ten,  forebodes  brain-fever,  which 
means  an  early  death  ; in  children  over  fifteen,  there 
is  a more  immediate  connection  with  a costive  con- 
dition of  the  bowels  brought  on  by  improper  eating  ; 
hence  parents  will  not  commence  too  early  if  at  five 
years  of  age  they  should  begin  to  impress  on  the 
child’s  mind  the  close  connection  between  this  and 
almost  all  the  diseases  to  which  they  are  liable,  and 
it  will  be  one  of  the  most  important  lessons  in  its 
connection  with  human  health  and  happiness  which 
can  be  impressed  on  the  minds  of  the  young  of  both 
sexes. 

One  of  the  most  effective  plans  of  burning  this 
important  fact  on  the  memories  of  the  young,  is  to 
point  out  to  them,  as  it  occurs  in  all  their  sicknesses, 
that  any  actual  present  disease  is  preceded  or  ac- 
companied by  a failure  of  the  bowels  to  act  every 
day,  and  that  in  addition,  when  they  have  been  ail- 
ing, a change  for  the  better  is  always  accompanied 
or  followed  by  a freer  action  of  the  bowels ; and 
that  grown  persons  may  feel  that  they  have  grounds 
to  teach  such  a sentiment,  and  find  the  strongest 
confirmation  of  it,  they  should  remember  that  all 
uatent  medicines,  except  those  used  for  throat  and 
iung  diseases,  have  the  effect  to  move  the  bowels  , 
and  the  fact  is,  none  of  the  common  diseases  of 
mankind  begin  to  disappear  until  the  bowels  com- 
mence acting  daily,  and  this  is  the  reason  why  such 
a vast  amount  of  money  is  spent  yearly  by  the 


110 


HOW  TO  EAT. 


masses  for  patent  medicines  : they  feel  in  themselves, 
and  see  in  others,  that  diseases  are  abated  by  a free 
condition  of  the  bowels,  and  that  the  use  of  patent 
medicines  brings  about  this  free  condition,  at  least 
temporarily.  If  better  educated  minds  could  see 
the  same  thing,  and  would  take  pains  to  inform 
themselves  of  the  fact  that  a safer,  and  surer,  and 
more  permanent  change  to  a regular  daily  action  of 
the  bowels  can  often  be  brought  about  by  the  use 
of  our  natural  food  rather  than  by  physic,  much  of 
the  sickness  and  suffering  of  the  world  would  be 
prevented.  In  another  part  of  this  book  the  cura- 
tive agencies  of  food  are  pointed  out,  and  are  com- 
mended to  the  reader’s  attention. 

Parents  should  consider  it  an  imperative  duty  to 
impress  upon  the  minds  of  their  children  as  early  as 
their  fifth  year  the  importance  of  a regular  daily 
action  of  the  bowels,  because  it  is  literally  a subject 
of  life  and  death,  a practical  attention  to  which 
would  have  a very  material  bearing  on  the  enjoy- 
ment and  success  of  after  life  ; and  it  is  greatly  to  be 
desired  that  this  should  be  made  a part  of  the  edu- 
cation of  children  in  all  our  public  schools  from  the 
ABC  classes  to  graduation. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


BILIOUSNESS. 

In  the  course  of  the . day,  all  the  blood  in  the 
body  is  passed  through  the  liver,  the  proper  work 
of  which  is  to  withdraw  the  bile  from  the  blood, 
and  to  collect  it  into  its  own  receptacle,  the  gall- 
bladder, which  opens  into  the  intestines  just  below 
the  stomach ; through  this  opening,  the  bile  is 
passed  drop  by  drop,  particularly  after  eating,  and 
it  is  this  bile  which  is  said  to  “ promote  the  action 
of  the  bowels,”  and  which  gives  the  yellow  appear- 
ance indicative  of  a healthfully  active  condition  of 
the  “ bilious  organs,”  as  the  liver,  the  gall-bladder, 
etc.,  are  called. 

The  bile  is  the  waste  matter  of  the  body,  which 
must  be  constantly  passed  out  of  it,  in  order  to 
keep  the  system  free  of  those  accumulations  which 
are  incident  to  all  machinery ; the  competent  en- 
gineer is  constantly  going  around  and  about  his 
machine,  carefully  removing  all  grease  and  dirt, 
which  last  is  the  waste,  the  effects  of  the  “ wear  ” 
of  motion.  When  the  liver  does  not  “ work,” 
the  bile  is  not  withdrawn  from  the  blood,  and  the 
face  and  eyes  become  yellowish,  this  being  the 
color  of  the  bile ; this  is  jaundice  : as  the  liver 


112 


BILIOUSNESS. 


ceases  to  separate  the  bile  from  the  blood,  a man 
expresses  himself  sometimes  as  having 

A LAZY  LIVER. 

A physician  would  say  that  it  does  not  act,  that 
it  is  torpid,  is  asleep,  does  not  work  ; whenever  that 
is  the  case  for  a few  hours,  some  derangement  of 
the  machinery  begins  to  take  place,  and  will 
promptly  manifest  itself  in  the  way  of  “ symp- 
toms.” When,  for  example,  the  discharges  from  the 
bowels  are  “ clay-colored,”  destitute  of  their  natu- 
ral, yellow  appearance,  disease  is  already  present. 
In  Asiatic  cholera,  the  discharges  are  said  to  be 
u colorless  ; ” are  called  u rice-water  discharges,” 
from  their  being  of  the  color  and  consistence  of 
water  which  has  been  used  in  washing  out  some 
rice  preparatory  to  cooking  it.  This  is  the  result 
of  the  liver  not  acting  at  all  in  cholera : and  unless 
it  is  made  to  act  in  some  way,  the  patient  is  as  cer- 
tain to  die  as  if  the  head  were  cut  off. 

In  all  forms  of  fever,  the  liver  fails  to  act ; and 
the  patient  recovers  only  in  proportion  as  the  dis- 
charges begin  to  assume  the  natural  yellowish  tinge. 

Among  the  symptoms  of  biliousness,  in  addition 
to  the  two  already  named,  is  a 

WANT  OF  APPETITE. 

The  liver  does  not  act,  hence  the  wastes  are  not 
passed  out  of  the  system,  and  to  introduce  food 
into  it,  under  the  circumstances,  is  to  still  increase 
the  trouble,  is  still  further  to  oppress  it  with  an 
additional  load  ; but  at  this  point  Nature  steps  in 


WANT  OF  APPETITE. 


113 


with  a benevolent  instinct,  a ceaseless  watchfulness, 
and  takes  away  the  appetite,  as  if  to  compel  us  not 
to  injure  ourselves  by  introducing  more  into  the 
body,  when  it  was  already  too  full,  in  consequence 
of  not  having  been  unloaded  of  what  had  been  put 
into  it.  To  eat  without  an  appetite,  under  such 
circumstances,  is  to  kill  one’s  self.  But  in  order  to 
make  assurance  doubly  sure,  this  want  of  appetite 
in  biliousness  is  attended  with  another  symptom  ; 
there  is  not  only  an  indisposition  to  eat,  but  there  is 
a positive  dislike,  an  antipathy  against  all  food  ; we 
call  it  nausea,  when  the  very  sight  or  even  thought 
of  food  almost  occasions  vomiting ; and  if,  in  defi- 
ance of  these,  we  persist  in  eating,  Nature  rebels 
with  all  her  power,  and  forces  the  food  back,  out 
through  the  mouth,  and  this  is  called  vomiting.  It 
is  impossible  to  think  of  these  self-acting  watch- 
guards  with  which  our  bodies  are  provided  for  their 
safety  and  well-being,  without  being  carried  away 
with  wonder  and  surprise,  tersely  expressed  in  the 
language  of  the  Holy  Scriptures : “ I am  fearfully 
and  wonderfully  made.” 

There  are  some  cases  where,  in  spite  of  a want 
of  appetite,  wise  medical  men  might  counsel  that 
something  should  be  eaten  ; but  a bilious  want  of 
appetite,  which  may  be  known  by  the  attendant 
aversion  to  food,  combined  with  a feeling  of  nausea, 
should  never  be  forced,  and  a strict  abstinence  from 
food  should  be  observed  until  the  feeling  of  hunger 
becomes  very  decided.  The  attentive  reader  can 
then  readily  perceive  how  very 


BILIOUSNESS. 


114 


MISCHIEVOUS  TONICS 

are  ; how  even  suicidal  it  is  to  attempt  to  goad 
Nature  to  an  appetite  by  the  use  of  medicines  which 
are  thought  to  have  that  effect.  And  yet  the  great 
aim  of  the  multitude,  when  there  is  no  appetite, 
is  to  force  one ; to  create  a desire  for  food  when 
there  is  an  antipathy  against  it,  so  strong  sometimes 
that  even  the  thought  of  swallowing  a mouthful 
almost  induces  vomiting.  Thus  do  we  blindly  fight 
against  Nature,  thwart  her  in  her  efforts  to  protect 
and  save  us ; so  ignorant  are  we  of  her  workings, 
and  of  the  proper  operations  of  our  own  bodies. 

If  the  bile  remains  mixed  with  the  blood,  it  must 
render  that  blood  impure,  thicker  than  it  ought 
to  be,  more  sluggish  in  its  flow,  less  life-giving  ; 
hence,  does  not  pass  along  the  blood-vessels  as 
actively  and  quickly  as  it  ought  to  do;  the  result 
is,  it  clogs,  it  dams  up,  it  congests  in  various  parts 
of  the  body,  giving  symptoms  as  various  as  the 
parts  or  organs  where  it  accumulates  most.  The 
reader  is  familiar  with  the  word 

CONGESTION, 

which,  as  applied  to  the  body,  means  more  blood  in 
a part  than  there  ought  to  be  ; so,  when  there  is 
an  accumulation  of  this  bad  blood,  blood  made  bad 
and  impure  by  having  bile  mixed  with  it,  or,  as  is 
sometimes  said,  “ loaded  with  bile,”  it  gives  a feel- 
ing of  heaviness  or  sluggishness,  if  in  the  brain, 
causing  the  various  grades  of  indifference,  sleepi* 


DULL  PAINS. 


115 


ness,  stupidity  ; sometimes  there  is  a tightness 
about  the  forehead,  and  the  man  is  noticed  to  put 
his  hand  up  there,  and  stroke  it  across  his  brow ; 
this  stagnation  is  one  of  the  forms  of  bad  blood 
about  the  brain,  and  other  important  centres  of  life, 
and  is  so  great  in  some  cases,  as  to  give  rise  to  the 
term  congestion  of  the  brain,  and  in  another  form 
is  congestive  fever,  of  which  persons  die  in  a few 
hours  sometimes.  At  others,  when  there  is  a 
strong  constitution,  or  the  attack  is  not  very  malig- 
nant, they  may  linger  several  days,  but  the  uniform 
result  is  death,  with  unconsciousness  from  the  very 
first,  — so  heavily  does  the  congested  blood  press 
upon  the  vital  parts.  Then,  again,  there  are  con- 
gestions of  the  liver  and  other  important  organs, 
giving,  as  a general  rule,  dull  pains  or  aches  in  any 
and  every  part  of  the  body,  for  the  bad  blood  goes 
to  every  pin-point  of  the  system. 

DULL  PAINS 

are  the  result  of  accumulated  or  stagnant  bad  blood, 
and  the  obvious,  and  natural,  and  most  speedy  rem- 
edy in  such  cases  is  the  prompting  of  the  common- 
est sense.  If  too  much  blood  has  gathered  in  a 
part,  and  gives  discomfort,  lessen  the  quantity ; a 
leech  or  a lancet  will  act  very  promptly  ; but  as 
there  is  a general  horror  of  blood-letting,  although 
not  as  dangerous  as  bleeding  the  pocket,  more  indi- 
rect methods  of  diminishing  the  quantity  of  blood 
in  a part  which  gives  a dull  hurting  sensation  are 
preferred.  A mustard  plaster  near  a painful  spot, 


116 


BILIOUSNESS. 


by  drawing  the  blood  from  that  part  to  the  skin, 
under  the  plaster,  diminishes  the  quantity,  and  gives 
prompt  relief ; or  the  same  thing  may  be  done 
by  rubbing  the  parts  with  some  coarse  material, 
so  as  to  irritate  the  skin,  thus  drawing  the  blood 
there.  Rubbing  with  the  hand  answers  a good 
purpose,  by  its  aiding  the  circulation,  quickening 
it,  and  passing  the  blood  onwards.  Bathing  a dull 
aching  part  in  hot  water  is  a good  expedient ; it 
thins  the  blood,  by  warming  it  up,  by  promoting 
absorption  and  evaporation,  and  by  stimulating  the 
surface.  Active  exercise,  especially  if  out-of-doors, 
and  of  a cheery  nature,  whether  on  foot,  on  horse- 
back, or  at 


HARD  WORK, 

diminishes  the  amount  of  blood  in  a part  made 
painful  by  its  thick  impurities,  by  scattering  it  more 
equally  over  the  body,  and  also  by  getting  rid  of  the 
more  watery  portions  by  the  frictions  and  other 
wastes,  through  the  pores  of  the  skin.  When  there 
is  a dull  headache  from  congested  bad  blood,  a 
good  hearty  meal  cures  it  for  the  time,  because  a 
portion  of  the  blood  is  compelled  to  leave  the  head 
and  go  to  the  stomach,  in  order  to  enable  it  to  per- 
form the  work  of  digestion  of  the  food  eaten.  The 
great  practical  question  comes  up  now  with  full 
force,  What  is  the 


CURE  FOR  BILIOUSNESS. 


117 


CURE  FOR  BILIOUSNESS  ? 

Bearing  in  mind  that  it  is  an  excess  of  blood,  of 
blood  that  is  bad,  the  very  first  step  towards  cure 
almost  suggests  itself  instinctively : make  no  more 
blood  for  the  present,  because  there  is  too  much 
already  ; and  since  every  drop  of  blood  is  made  out 
of  the  food  eaten,  then  this  is  a case  where  not  one 
single  mouthful  should  be  swallowed  ; that  cuts  off 
at  once  the  entire  supply  of  what  causes  the  mis- 
chief. 

The  next  step  to  be  taken  is  to  open  the  pores 
of  the  skin  by  a thorough  cleansing  with  soap  and 
warm  water,  and  vigorous  scrubbing  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  body,  in  which  there  are  many  millions 
of  pores  or  little  chimneys,  out  of  which,  from  the 
body,  pass  into  the  open  air  vapors,  and  liquids, 
and  solids,  all  from  the  blood,  and  every  particle 
of  which,  so  passed  out,  diminishes,  by  so  much,  the 
amount  of  blood  in  the  body,  especially  of  its  bad 
ingredient ; and  when  it  is  remembered  that  several 
pounds  of  this  waste  and  impure  material  pass  out 
of  the  body  into  the  air,  in  health,  in  a single  day 
of  twenty-four  hours,  it  can  be  readily  seen  how 
much  the  quantity  of  blood  in  the  human  body  may 
be  lowered,  and  how  speedily,  if  the  pores  of  the 
skin  are  kept  open  by  cleanliness  and  friction,  and 
no  more  blood  is  made  by  eating  any  food. 

If  a man  does  not  eat  or  drfnk  a mouthful  all  day, 
he  will  weigh  a pound,  or  two,  or  more,  less  at  night 
whan  in  the  morning,  even  if  he  remains  in  the 


118 


BILIOUSNESS. 


house  or  in  bed  ; simply  because  there  is  a constant 
outgo  through  the  numerous  little  chimneys  named  ; 
so  impalpable  are  these  escapes,  that  we  ordinarily 
cannot  see  them  with  the  naked  eye,  hence  the 
term  is  given  of 

INSENSIBLE  PERSPIRATION. 

But  we  may  perspire  so  freely  that  this  emanation 
becomes  visible,  and  we  call  it  “ sweat ; ” and  as 
every  one  knows  that  active  exercise  “ makes  him 
sweat,”  then  it  follows  that  the  quantity  of  bad 
blood  in  the  body  is  still  more  rapidly  diminished 
if  active  exercise  is  taken.  Therefore,  in  summing 
up  the  whole  matter,  the  dullest  can  see  that  a very 
efficient,  safe,  and  natural  method  of  correcting  a 
bilious  condition  of  the  system,  of  getting  rid  of  the 
excess  of  bile,  of  separating  it  from  the  blood,  and 
thus  allowing  that  blood  to  become  pure  and  health- 
giving again,  is  simply  to 

GO  TO  WORK. 

And  this  is  a plan  which  is  always  available, 
costs  nothing,  and  never  fails  in  any  curable  case,  if 
carried  out  on  the  conditions  suggested.  A more 
modified  form  of  cure,  in  less  urgent  cases,  will  be 
found  in  the  general  direction  of  taking  abundant 
out-door  exercise.  But  it  ought  always  to  be  borne 
in  mind  that,  as  an  element  in  the  removal  of  dis- 
ease, work,  as  compared  with  exercise,  is  incompar- 
ably more  efficacious ; will  accomplish  more  in  half 
the  time,  because  work  has  an  object  in  view,  — a 


GO  TO  WORK. 


119 


result  which  stimulates  and  inspires,  which  pleasur- 
ably involves  both  muscular  effort  and  mental  ex- 
ertion ; time  passes  imperceptibly ; sickness  is 
forgotten  ; and  a larger  amount  of  bodily  activity 
is  exerted  without  half  the  fatigue.  But  suppose 
a man  sets  out  to  exercise  for  his  health,  to  walk  or 
ride  to  a certain  post,  and  then  turn  round  and 
tramp  back  again,  he  necessarily  performs  this  as  a 
task ; his  mind  is  not  only  on  the  number  of  miles, 
but  on  the  time  taken,  and,  in  addition,  there  is  the 
depressing  reflection  that  he  is  doing  all  this  be- 
cause he  is  sick,  and  before  he  is  through  with  it, 
he  finds  himself  painfully  measuring  every  step  and 
counting  every  minute ; in  all  this  process,  there  is 
no  exhilaration  of  thought,  no  elasticity  of  motion, 
no  satisfaction  at  a desirable  result  accomplished ; 
but  the  whole  thing  is  a task,  a burden,  and  an 
insufferable  bore,  and  scholars  and  active  business 
men  will  find  it  so.  Still  some  good  results  from 
bodily  motion  ; it  is  better  to  be  a walking  au- 
tomaton than  nothing  ; for  every  step  diminishes 
the  excess  of  blood  and  impurity  in  the  system  ; 
and  every  breath  of  air  drawn  out-of-doors  returns 
from  the  body  loaded  with  impurities,  and  leaves  it 
lightened  to  that  extent.  Hence,  if  a bilious  man 
wants  to  get  well,  and  is  in  no  special  hurry,  all  that 
he  has  to  do  is  to  lie  down  out-of-doors  between  two 
broad  boards,  and  stay  there  until  he  gets  raven- 
ously hungry  ; one  board  to  protect  him  from  the 
dampness  of  the  earth,  and  the  other  from  the  rain 
and  sun.  There  is  not  a combination  of  medicines 


120 


BILIOUSNESS. 


known  to  man  that  is  half  as  efficient  in  removing 
biliousness  ; because  absolute  abstinence  from  food 
cuts  off  all  supply  of  bile,  and  every  breath  of  pure 
air  relieves  the  system  of  an  appreciable  amount  of 
the  accumulated  impurities  ; so  that  a cure  event- 
ually is  a necessity  in  the  very  nature  of  things. 
The  writer  has  tried  it,  without,  however,  the  im- 
portant advantage  of  the  boards,  being  a thousand 
miles  beyond  civilization  ; but  there  was  a “ passa- 
ble ” substitute,  — the  nether  board  being  mother 
earth,  and  the  upper  one  the  sky. 

This  same  wonderful  efficiency  of 

THE  OUT-DOOR  AIR, 

in  unburdening  the  human  system,  when  the 
blood  has  been  loaded  down  with  the  impurities  of 
dangerous  maladies  and  fearful  wounds,  has  been 
verified  a thousand  times  on  the  battle-field,  in 
escapes  from  savage  barbarities,  and  in  casual  cases 
where  hospitals  have  been  burned  or  sacked,  — as 
on  one  occasion  near  New  York,  to  prevent  quaran- 
tine houses  from  being  established  in  a certain  local- 
ity. The  sick  of  yellow  fever  were  taken  from  the 
buildings  before  they  were  fired,  and  laid  out  at  a 
distance  on  the  grass  on  mattresses  ; rain  came  on 
in  the  mean  time  ; and  yet,  with  these  disadvantages, 
they  not  only  did  not  die,  but  recovered,  while  the 
city  was  shocked  with  the  barbarity  of  the  thing. 


EVERY  STEP  DOE! 


EVERY  STEP  DOES  ^ 

in  any  case  of  biliousness,  because  e^fevy^gteg  jnr 
volves  the  consumption  of  some  particles,  and  the 
forcible  thrusting  out  of  others,  in  addition  to  the 
unloading  influences  of  the  act  of  breathing,  as  al- 
ready described.  And  if,  in  addition  to  these,  no 
reinforcement  of  bile  takes  place  from  additional 
food,  the  number  of  recoveries  from  biliousness, 
and  all  other  maladies  where  impurity  of  blood  is 
the  prevailing  element,  would  astound  any  careful 
observer,  because  a cure,  in  every  case  curable,  is 
a natural  and  necessary  result,  being  always  a mere 
question  of  degree  and  time. 

There  are  two  points  on  which  the  attention 
should  be  kept  steadily  fixed  in  any  effort  to  cure 
biliousness  in  the  manner  proposed  ; if  these  points 
are  well  attended  to,  the  restoration  will  be  all  the 
more  certain,  speedy,  and  enduring : 1.  The  exer- 
cise should  not  extend  beyond  a moderate  degree 
of  tiredness  ; 2.  It  should  be  sufficiently  vigorous, 
while  in  progress,  to  cause  and  keep  up  a very  mod- 
erate degree  of  perspiration  for  an  hour  or  two  or 
more  at  a time. 

While  strict  abstinence  from  food  is  an  important 
element  in  the  unmedicinal,  but  natural  cure  of 
biliousness  in  connection  with  out-door  activities  of 
a pleasurable  character  and  a clean  skin,  so  as  to 
keep  the  tops  of  the  little  chimneys  spoken  of  open, 
that  is,  the  pores  of  the  skin,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  as  much  cold  water  may  be  drank,  or  as 


122 


BILIOUSNESS. 


much  warm  mild  liquid,  as  can  be  taken  with  com- 
fort, which  would  seem  to  have  the  effect  of  cooling 
off  any  fever  that  might  be  in  the  system,  of  dilut- 
ing the  blood,  thus  making  it  more  capable  of  being 
passed  through  the  small  blood-vessels,  and  in  addi- 
tion giving  it  a capacity  for  dissolving  the  more 
solid  particles,  so  that  they  might  be  more  readily 
“ washed  ” out  of  the  body. 

An  effort  has  been  made  to  be  as  specific  as  pos- 
sible in  giving  these  instructions  for  the  removal  of 
biliousness  in  a natural  w~ay,  because  it  is  literally 
applicable  to  quite  a long  list  of  very  familiar  symp- 
toms which  are  indicative  of  a bilious  condition  ©f 
the  system,  as  different  persons  are  affected  differ- 
ently by  biliousness,  according  to  age,  temperament, 
eex,  constitution,  occupation,  and  habits  of  life. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


DYSPEPSIA. 

If  a large  lump  of  ice  is  put  in  a ^lass  of  water,  it 
melts  slowly  ; if  it  is  divided  into  many  pieces,  and 
stirred  around,  it  is  dissolved  with  much  greater 
rapidity,  because  a greater  surface  of  ice  is  exposed 
to  the  water,  and  it  melts  from  without,  inwards. 

If  a number  of  lumps  of  sugar  are  stirred  in  a 
glass  of  water,  they  will  be  dissolved  up  to  a certain 
point ; after  that,  the  sugar  falls  to  the  bottom  ; the 
water  is  then  said  to  be  saturated  with  sugar ; can 
be  made  no  sweeter,  for  it  will  take  up  no  more,  can 
hold  no  more. 

If  these  comparisons  are  kept  in  view,  very  much 
will  be  done  towards  aiding  the  reader  to  under- 
stand easily  what  is  the  essential  nature,  and  what 
are  the  principles  of  cure,  of  that  widely  prevalent 
disease  of  our  own  country,  dyspepsia.  When 
food  is  swallowed,  it  is  at  once  enveloped  with  gas- 
tric juice,  called  “ gastric  ” because  that  is  the  Greek 
word  meaning  stomach.  This  food,  like  the  ice,  is 
dissolved  from  without  inwards  by  the  stomach 
juice ; the  smaller  the  pieces,  the  sooner  will  the 
solution  or  melting  take  place,  hence  the  reason  for 
eating  slowly  and  chewing  the  food  well,  thus 
mashing,  grinding,  and  cutting  it  up  into  many 


124 


DYSPEPSIA. 


small  bits.  It  was  observed  by  Beaumont,  that 
when  meat  or  other  food  was  cut  up  very  fine, 
in  smaller  than  pea-sized  pieces,  it  seemed  to  digest 
quite  as  soon  and  easily  as  when  it  was  chewed 
and  swallowed  in  the  natural  way. 

If  food  is  not  chewed  leisurely,  it  requires  so 
much  longer  time  to  dissolve  it  that  it  begins  to 
ferment,  to  decay,  to  putrefy.  The  idea  is  cer- 
tainly disgusting ; for  there  is  but  little  if  any  dif- 
ference between  eating  putrid  food,  and  having  it 
become  so  soon  after  it  enters  the  stomach. 

In  about  five  hours  after  a healthy  person  has 
eaten  a regular  meal,  the  food  is  dissolved,  and 
passes  out  of  the  stomach ; if  it  remains  longer,  it 
begins  to  rot ; this  word  is  used  purposely,  because, 
better  than  any  other,  it  conveys  to  the  popular 
mind  the  precise  idea,  — that  of  mortification,  cor- 
ruption, destructive  decay,  generating  wind,  with 
sour  and  putrid  odors  and  gases ; so  that  the  liquid 
in  the  stomach,  instead  of  being  soft,  and  mild, 
and  bland,  becomes  acrid,  irritating,  inflaming, 
causing,  according  to  age,  sex,  occupation,  temper- 
ament, and  habits,  a great  variety  of  sensations, 
called  symptoms,  and  combinations  of  symptoms 
scarcely  alike  in  any  two  individuals  in  a score  or 
more,  such  as 

Acidity.  Appetite,  want  of. 

Appetite,  excessive.  Bad  taste. 

Appetite,  fitful.  Belching. 

Appetite,  vitiated.  Burning. 


MENTAL  SYMPTOMS. 


125 


Costiveness. 

Distention. 

Dizziness. 

Emptiness. 

Eructation. 

Flatulency. 

Fullness. 

General  distress. 

“ Goneness.” 
Haggard  face. 
Headache. 
Heart-burn. 
Heaviness. 

Load  at  stomach. 
Nausea. 

Nightmare. 
Oppression  in  chest. 


Pain,  colic  in  bowels. 
Pain,  dull. 

Pain,  gnawing. 

Pain,  griping. 

Pain,  sharp. 

Palpitation. 

Rumination. 

Sinking. 

Skin,  harsh  and  dry. 
Sleep,  disturbed. 

Sour  stomach. 
Tenderness  at  stomach. 
Tongue,  white. 

Ugly  dreams. 
Water-brash. 

Weak,  can’t  sit  straight. 
Weight  at  stomach. 


To  this  formidable  list  of  bodily  discomforts  aris- 
ing from  dyspepsia,  there  are  other  peculiarly  dis- 
tressing sensations  to  be  added,  which  are  called 

the 

MENTAL  SYMPTOMS. 


Depression  of  spirits. 

Despondency. 

Discouragement. 

Fretfulness. 

Forebodings. 

Irritability. 

Listlessness. 

Moodiness. 


126 


DYSPEPSIA. 


Nervousness. 

Self-distrust. 

Suicidal  thoughts. 

Suspiciousness. 

Want  of  energy. 

The  dyspeptic’s  thoughts  and  imaginings  are 
sometimes  such  as  to  startle  himself,  and  too  dis- 
graceful to  confess : at  one  time  easy  to  take 
offense  ; at  others  avoiding  company,  with  a feel- 
ing that  nobody  wants  to  have  anything  to  do 
with  him ; and  yet  he  seems  to  be  happiest  when 
pouring  into  another’s  ear  the  interminable  tale  of 
all  his  sorrows ; there  is  no  geniality,  no  joyous- 
ness, no  hope.  The  very  thought  of  such  things 
must  be  terrible  to  the  reader  who  is  blessed  with 
good  health  ; and  yet  the  disease  is  avoidable  in 
every  case,  in  every  case  can  be  prevented,  and  in 
every  case  cured,  even  if  of  many  years  standing, 
by  a judicious  attention  to  food  and  drink,  and  air 
and  exercise.  It  will  subserve  a good  purpose,  in 
helping  to  understand  more  fully  the  essential  na- 
ture of  dyspepsia,  to  ascertain  why  such  a name  was 
given  to  it,  and  why  also  it  was  called  “ indigestion,” 
for  both  mean  the  same  disease  with  some  modifi- 
cation, arising  from  the  different  view  which  two 
nations  had  of  the  malady ; for  it  prevailed  among 
both  Greeks  and  Romans  thousands  of  years  ago. 

The  Greeks  thought  that  the  process  through 
which  the  food  went,  after  it  entered  the  stomach, 
was  in  the  nature  of  a boiling ; and  when  it  was 
hardly  done,  done  with  difficulty,  they  took  two 


EATING  TOO  FAST. 


127 


words  to  express  the  idea,  one  called  Dus  or  Dys, 
meaning  “ difficult,”  the  other  Peptein,  or  boiling, 
both  together  meaning  44  hard  to  be  boiled  ” or 
prepared,  Dys-pepsia.  Later  on  in  history,  the  Ro- 
mans, not  being  willing  to  commit  themselves  to 
the  idea  that  it  was  a boiling  process,  there  be- 
ing no  fire  there,  gave  it  a name  signifying  un- 
preparedness, or  want  of  division  or  preparation,  — 
44  In  ” signifying  without,  and  Digestio,  preparation  ; 
meaning  simply  that  the  food  was  not  prepared 
in  the  stomach  for  giving  its  natural  qualities  to 
the  system  in  a healthful  manner.  So  that  whether 
we  call  it  dyspepsia  or  indigestion,*  it  means  that 
the  food  in  the  stomach  is  not  acted  on  naturally, 
hence  does  not  serve  the  purpose  of  giving  nour- 
ishment, and  life,  and  warmth,  and  health  to  the 
body.  Then  the  important  practical  question  arises, 

WHY  ARE  WE  DYSPEPTIC? 

Why  is  it  that  the  food,  after  being  eaten,  is  not 
properly  prepared  ? 

It  may  be  said  that  dyspepsia  arises  from  three 
causes : — 

Eating  too  fast ; 

Eating  too  much ; 

Eating  too  often. 

EATING  TOO  FAST. 

It  has  already  been  explained  that  when  a man 
eats  too  fast,  the  food  is  not  chewed  well  enough  ; 
is  passed  into  the  stomach  in  such  large  pieces, 


128 


DYSPEPSIA. 


that  so  much  time  is  required  for  the  gastric  juice 
to  dissolve  it  from  without  inwards,  that  it  begins 
to  rot,  to  turn  sour,  causing  the  long  list  of  phys- 
ical and  mental  maladies  previously  named. 

EATING  TOO  MUCH. 

In  the  illustration  of  bits  of  sugar  put  in  a glass 
of  water,  it  was  seen  that  a certain  portion  of  it 
would  be  dissolved  by  a certain  amount  of  water, 
but  that  it  was  impossible  for  it  to  dissolve  any 
more  sugar,  and  that  if  more  were  put  in,  it  would 
remain  unacted  upon,  undissolved,  and  settle  at  the 
bottom.  It  is  so  with  the  stomach  ; there  is  a cer- 
tain amount  of  gastric  juice,  which  will  dissolve  so 
much  food  healthfully,  and  not  an  atom  more,  by 
any  possibility ; if  more  is  eaten,  then  it  is  eating 
too  much,  and  it  remains  unfitted  for  the  uses  of  the 
system.  If  a person  persists  in  eating  too  much, 
more  or  less  of  the  symptoms  of  dyspepsia  will 
present  themselves,  sooner  or  later,  as  a positively 
inevitable  result ; and  nothing  but  a miracle  can 
possibly  prevent  it,  if  the  practice  is  persisted  in. 

The  question  then  arises,  “ How  are  we  to  avoid 
eating  too  much  ? ” This  can  be  answered  more 
satisfactorily  by  first  ascertaining 

WHAT  IS  HUNGER  ? 

Almighty  Wisdom  made  the  human  body,  in  a 
certain  sense,  a self-preserving  machine  ; this  mech- 
anism is  presided  over  by  a certain  form  of  intel- 
ligence called  instinct,  independent  of  the  higher 


WHAT  IS  HUNGER? 


129 


power  of  reason,  because  in  some  forms  of  disease, 
or  casualty,  or  sleep,  reason  is  in  abeyance,  and 
without  instinct  we  would  die  in  a night.  The 
body  is  all  the  time  wearing  out,  and  wasting  away 
in  every  portion  of  it ; as  fast  as  this  is  done,  and 
to  the  extent  that  it  is  done,  instinct  gives  warn- 
ing that  replenishment  and  repair  are  needed ; this 
information  is  imparted,  is  sent  forward  to  the 
stomach  from  all  parts  of  the  body,  through  the 
nervous  system,  as  if  by  & net-work  of  telegraphic 
wires  ; in  the  stomach  they  all  centre,  with  a re- 
sult to  fill  certain  vessels  there  with  a fluid  sub- 
stance, as  the  need  for  repair  increases  ; these 
vessels  distend  more  and  more,  and  their  disten- 
tion causes  the  feeling  of  hunger,  which  becomes 
more  and  more  pressing,  unpleasant,  painful,  ago- 
nizing, as  if  to  compel  the  individual  to  attend  to 
the  urgent  needs  of  the  system  ; the  very  instant 
the  first  particle  of  food  reaches  the  stomach,  the 
sluices  of  the  engorged  vessels  open,  enveloping 
each  particle  closely,  beginning  to  dissolve  it  at 
once  ; the  unloading  of  these  overfilled  vessels  gives 
ease  first,  then  comfort,  then  positive  pleasure  ; hence 
we  warm  up  to  the  humanities  and  amenities  of  life 
as  a meal  progresses. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  amount  of 
gastric  juice  prepared  is  adapted  by  instinct  to  the 
wrants  of  the  system,  as  nature  allows  of  no  waste ; 
and  there  never  can  be  an  excess  of  gastric  juice 
enough  to  dissolve  one  single  mouthful  of  food 
more  than  there  is  need  for ; and  any  attempt  to 

9 


130 


DYSPEPSIA. 


eat  more  than  the  system  requires,  will  be  fol- 
lowed with  results  already  detailed.  One  error  now 
and  then  Nature  has  inherent  power  to  rectify  ; but 
if  persisted  in  she  seems  to  become  discouraged, 
gives  up,  allows  things  to  take  their  course,  and  dis- 
eases follow.  The  hunger  vessels  are  so  constructed 
that  they  must  fill  gradually,  and  gradually  they 
empty  themselves,  and  can  do  it  in  no  other  way ; 
they  will  not  be  hurried,  and  the  only  method  to 
meet  the  case  is  to  introduce  the  food  by  degrees  ; 
in  plain  phrase, — 


EAT  SLOWLY. 

By  this  means  the  hunger  vessels  are  slowly  and 
completely  emptied,  and  when  emptied,  there  is  no 
further  desire  for  food,  and  the  man  ceases  volunta- 
rily, without  having  eaten  near  as  much  as  he  would 
have  done  otherwise  ; while  there  is  the  additional 
advantage  of  having  the  food,  by  this  slow  eating, 
well  divided  into  small  bits,  which  are,  in  conse- 
quence, fully  dissolved,  and  with  great  rapidity. 
Another  disadvantage  of  eating  too  fast  is  that  be- 
fore we  know  it,  as  in  filling  an  empty  bottle  through 
a funnel,  it  is  full  and  overflowing;  and  not  only 
so,  the  bits  of  food  are  divided,  separated,  become 
less  solid,  more  fluid,  hence  occupy  more  room  than 
in  the  more  solid  state ; but  since  the  stomach  was 
full  before,  it  now  becomes  fuller  than  natural, 
that  is,  it  is  swollen,  forcibly  distended  beyond  its 
Droper  size,  and  the  feeling  of  fullness,  of  distention, 
is  sometimes  positively  painful.  In  this  distended 


EATING  TOO  OFTEN. 


131 


condition,  the  stomach  rises,  presses  upward  against 
the  lungs,  confining  them  in  their  action,  and  there 
is*  a feeling  of  a want  of  breath  ; we  fairly  gasp  for 
air,  rush  for  relief  to  the  door,  and  the  breathing 
of  the  pure  atmosphere  without  is  a luxury.  An- 
other evil  of  an  overfull  stomach  is  that  its  disten- 
tion is  so  great,  the  muscles  are  so  stretched,  that 
they  cannot  contract  upon  the  food  to  push  it  about 
and  around  ; for  by  this  constant  motion  in  the 
stomach  juice,  it  is  more  quickly  dissolved  by  it,  as 
small  particles  of  ice  in  a glass  of  water  are  more 
quickly  dissolved  if  kept  in  motion  by  a spoon.  In 
the  course  of  half  an  hour  or  more,  -the  contents 
of  the  stomach  are  diminished  by  the  thinner  por- 
tions being  absorbed  or  evaporated,  and  others 
passing  downward,  until  the  diminution  has  been 
such  as  to  admit  of  the  natural  working  of  the 
organ ; but  generally  the  stomach  is  so  very  full, 
and  the  amount  is  diminished  so  slowly,  that  before 
digestion  has  had  time  to  prepare  the  food  properly, 
it  begins  to  sour,  to  rot,  to  ferment,  and  the  symp- 
toms of  dyspepsia  soon  manifest  themselves.  If 
this  overloading  is  persisted  in,  the  symptoms  be- 
come permanent,  Nature  is  less  and  less  able  to 
help  and  rectify  herself,  and  the  man  is  a confirmed 
dyspeptic  from  the  habit  of  over-eating. 

EATING  TOO  OFTEN. 

It  has  been  before  stated  that  it  requires  about 
frve  hours  after  eating  to  have  the  food  healthfully 
acted  upon  and  passed  out  of  the  stomach,  prepar- 


132 


DYSPEPSIA. 


atory  to  its  having  some  rest ; for  during  this  five 
hours,  it  is  in  constant  motion,  and  like  every  other 
muscle  of  the  body,  or  set  of  muscles,  must  have 
rest  for  future  action.  It  has  been  observed  by  the 
naked  eye  that  if  a regular  meal  is  eaten,  and  more 
is  added  to  it  before  it  is  passed  out  of  the  stomach, 
the  process  of  digestion  is  arrested,  and  does  not  go 
on  as  to-  the  first  food  eaten  until  the  last  has  ar- 
rived at  the  state  of  preparation  of  the  former  por- 
tion ; this,  then,  is  a loss  of  time  as  to  the  first  eaten, 
of  one,  or  two,  or  more  hours  ; hence  it  begins  to 
sour,  to  create  wind,  to  decay,  to  rot;  and  before 
the  five  hours  have  expired  for  the  working  up  of 
the  last  food  eaten,  the  next  regular  meal  arrives, 
the  stomach  is  set  to  work  anew  without  a moment’s 
rest ; it  is  overworked,  it  loses  its  power,  it  is 
weak,  does  its  work  with  difficulty ; this  is  literally 
“ dyspepsia.”  It  is  thus  clearly  seen  that  whether 
we  eat  too  much,  or  too  fast,  or  too  often,  the  result 
is  one  and  the  same  — decay  of  the  food ; its  imper- 
fect preparation  and  this  unnatural  condition  give 
rise  to  the  various  symptoms  before  enumerated. 

ULTERIOR  RESULTS. 

The  immediate  effect  of  dyspepsia,  of  imper- 
fectly handled  food,  is  not  the  only  ill  result ; the 
evil  is  far-reaching.  All  the  blood  is  made  out  of 
the  food  we  eat ; if  that  food  is  healthfully  pre- 
pared, the  blood  which  it  makes  is  pure,  healthful, 
and  life-giving ; otherwise  it  is  impure,  does  not 
impart  life,  health,  and  vigor ; in  short,  badly  di- 


BAD  BLOOD. 


133 


gested  food  makes  bad  blood,  and  as  this  bad  blood 
is  distributed  to  every  portion  of  the  body,  there  is 
not  a single  square  inch  of  it  which  is  not  liable  to 
some  diseased  action.  No  wonder,  then,  that  dys- 
peptics are  full  of  complaints. 

BAD  BLOOD 

has  been  charged  as  the  fruitful  cause  of  innu- 
merable maladies.  But  it  is  well  to  bear  in  mind 
that  the  designation  is  a general  one  ; it  may  be 
bad  by  having  too  much  bile  in  it,  because  the  liver 
does  not  work  well,  does  not  act  properly,  does  not 
do  its  duty,  is  torpid,  is  asleep,  and  needs  to  be 
“ touched,”  to  be  “ acted  on,”  to  be  “ stirred  up.” 

The  blood  may  be  made  bad  because  the  stom- 
ach does  not  act  healthily  on  the  food ; the  blood 
thus  badly  made  is  imperfect,  is  “ bad,”  because 
it  is  innutritious.  In  the  two  cases  named,  the  blood 
is  too  impure,  is  too  thick,  does  not  flow  in  a lively 
manner,  and  the  person  feels  stupid,  is  dull,  is 
drowsy,  indisposed  to  do  anything,  and,  in  his  own 
expressive  language,  is  “ fit  for  nothing.” 

The  blood  may  be  made  bad  by  unhealthful 
food,  by  not  having  enough  to  eat,  or  by  the  person 
not  being  able  to  get  as  much  nourishment  out  of  it 
as  was  needed ; in  this  case  the  blood  is  bad  because 
it  is  poor,  is  thin,  and  the  individual  is  weak,  and 
wasted,  and  chilly. 

Very  many  persons  eat  a great  deal,  but  are  nev- 
ertheless thin  in  flesh  and  weak  in  body,  because 
the 


184 


DYSPEPSIA. 


FOOD  DOES  NOT  STRENGTHEN. 

This  idea  is  expressed  with  sufficient  correctness 
by  the  following  illustration  : A faithful  servant,  just 
recovering  from  severe  sickness,  is  able  to  do  a small 
amount  of  work  well ; but  if  a heavy  task  is  given, 
there  is  not  strength  to  perform  it,  and,  in  the  am- 
bition to  complete  it,  the  whole  of  it  is  badly  done 
from  haste  and  want  of  strength.  An  overworked, 
a debilitated  stomach  may  digest  a small  amount  of 
food  thoroughly  and  well,  making  out  of  it  pure, 
good  blood,  giving  life,  strength,  and  nutriment  to 
the  whole  body,  as  far  as  it  goes ; but  if  a heavy 
meal  is  taken,  it  may  be  converted  into  blood,  but 
that  blood  will  not  be  perfectly  formed  ; it  will  be 
badly  made,  not  one  drop  of  it  will  be  pure,  life- 
giving  ; and  not  only  so,  going  to  the  heart  as  it 
does,  to  be  mixed  with  the  otlier  blood  of  the  body, 
it  deteriorates  it,  and  there  is  not  an  ounce  of  good 
blood  in  the  whole  system ; and  as  this  blood  is  sent 
to  every  pin-point  of  the  body,  it  being  an  unnat- 
ural material,  it  makes  an  unnatural  impression  ; 
hence  it  is  that  in  the  entire  body  of  a dyspeptic 
there  is  not  one  single  square  inch  in  a natural 
condition,  hence  is  liable  to  suffering  and  disease, 
those  parts  complaining  most  which  by  any  means 
have  been  rendered  weaker  than  the  others ; for 
as  when  the  cholera  is  sweeping  off  its  victims 
by  the  thousand,  those  are  first  attacked  who  are 
in  poor  health,  or  whose  constitutions  are  feeble, 
so  when  disease  is  about  to  attack  an  individual,  it 


A STRONGER  STOMACH. 


135 


falls  upon  the  most  debilitated  part  of  the  body. 
In  common  colds,  for  example,  if  the  voice  organs 
have  been  over-exercised,  the  cold  falls  upon  the 
throat,  and  the  man  is  hoarse ; if  the  lungs  are 
weak,  it  falls  on  them,  and  there  is  severe  cough- 
ing ; if  the  bowels  are  weak,  it  attacks  them,  and 
occasions  diarrhoea,  and  the  cold  is  said  to  u run 
off”  through  the  bowels  ; so  a dyspeptic  will  have 
the  brunt  of  his  malady  fall  on  that  part  of  the  body 
or  on  those  organs  which  are  unnaturally  weak  ; 
causing  the  countless  combination  of  symptoms 
which  this  unfortunate  class  of  persons  have. 

But  as  various  as  the  symptoms  are,  the  remote 
and  more  immediate  cause  is  one  and  the  same,  un- 
digested food,  making  bad  blood ; and  the  remedy 
must  in  all  cases  be  such  as  will  cause  the  one 
result,  — 

A STRONGER  STOMACH, 

one  which  can  digest  the  food.  There  are  two 
essential  requisites  of  a healthy  digestion.  There 
must  be  gastric  juice.  There  must  be  strength  in 
the  muscles  of  the  stomach  to  contract  upon  the 
food  in  such  a way  as  to  keep  it  in  motion  in  the 
gastric  juice,  for  the  purpose  of  promoting  its  dis- 
solution, its  melting,  as  previously  illustrated  by  the 
melting  of  small  pieces  of  ice  by  stirring  them 
around  in  a glass  of  water. 

Medicine  cannot  make  gastric  juice.  As  seen 
awhile  ago,  it  is  a liquid  prepared  as  a consequence 
of  the  need  of  repair ; this  need  of  replenishment 
and  repair  is  occasioned  by  a previous  waste  or 


136 


DYSPEPSIA. 


wear  ; that  waste  or  wear  cannot  be  brought  about 
without  motion  of  the  muscles,  which  is  expressed 
by  the  word  “ exercise  ; ” it  is  muscular  exercise 
which  creates  gastric  juice.  Without  gastric  juice 
there  never  can  be  any  digestion  of  food,  any  con- 
verting of  it  into  healthy  blood  ; and  here  at  this 
point  are  found  a vast  multitude  of  failures  in  the 
cure  of  dyspepsia ; it  being  sought  to  be  done  in 
every  possible  way  except  in  procuring  gastric 
juice,  the  absolutely  essential  element  under  all 
conceivable  circumstances.  It  is  so  much  easier  to 

SWALLOW  MEDICINE  EVERY  DAY 

than  to  go  to  work,  that  human  ingenuity  has 
been  taxed  to  the  utmost  to  find  something  which 
will  make  the  stomach  digest  the  food.  Acting  on 
the  presumption  that  dyspepsia  was  simply  a weak 
stomach,  every  conceivable  tonic  and  stimulant  has 
been  given  to  “ strengthen  the  stomach ; ” but  even 
supposing  it  were  accomplished,  a previous  prime 
necessity  existed  in  the  presence  of  gastric  juice, 
which  is  a product  of  muscular  exercise,  voluntary 
or  involuntary,  and  of  nothing  else  known  to  man. 

EXERCISE, 

and  more  particularly  out-door  exercise,  is  the 
first,  the  essential  element  in  the  cure  of  dyspepsia  ; 
this  and  one  other,  — strengthening  the  stomach  in 
a natural  manner,  — will,  sooner  or  later,  ameliorate 
and  remove  the  disease,  it  might  almost  be  said 
in  every  case,  if  the  man  is  not  already  dead,  and 


RECUPERATIVE  POWERS. 


137 


if  there  has  not  been  set  up  some  organic  disease  in 
other  portions  of  the  body  in  consequence  of  its  long 
duration  in  the  system.  As  there  is  only  one  way 
to  obtain  gastric  juice,  so  there  is  only  one  way,  nat- 
ural, legitimate,  and  effectual,  of  strengthening  the 
stomach,  according  to  a true  physiology,  and  that 
is  by  rest,  which  is  the  secret  of  the  cure  of  dys- 
peptic disease,  regardless  of  its  duration  ; and  it 
can  never  be  cured  without  it ; not  the  rest  which 
opiates  give ; not  that  which  is  the  result  of  sed- 
ative remedies,  but  that  which  comes  naturally, 
the  rest  of  simple  cessation  of  legitimate  action. 
The  Almighty  has  planted  within  us,  and  made  it 
a part  of  our  nature,  a kind  of  self-active  agency, 
called 

RECUPERATIVE  POWER. 

You  bend  a bow,  but  the  moment  it  becomes 
unrestrained,  it  returns  to  a natural  state,  and  thus 
recovers,  as  it  were,  the  power  to  act  again.  The 
bow  regains,  passively,  its  elasticity,  by  being  al- 
lowed to  remain  unstrung ; but  there  is  a more  ac- 
tive process  going  on  all  the  time  in  the  human 
system.  When  it  is  strung  up  like  the  bow,  that  is, 
When  it  is  at  work  as  to  any  of  the  organs,  it  ex- 
pends its  power,  its  strength ; but  the  moment  it 
ceases  its  labor,  it  falls  into  a state  of  rest,  as  far 
as  the  expenditure  of  effort  is  concerned,  and  that 
very  moment  it  begins  to  regain  the  strength  it  has 
been  expending,  or,  more  strictly  speaking,  it  be- 
gins to  gather  new  strength,  or  the  power  to  put 
forth  strength  : this  is  recuperative  power.  When 


138 


DYSPEPSIA. 


a man  is  tired,  he  lies  down,  and  strength  comes  to 
him,  so  that  in  a short  time  the  feeling  of  weariness 
has  disappeared,  and  he  feels  as  capable  of  work 
as  ever ; this  capability  seems  to  spring  up  within 
him  as  a result  of  rest.  A man  thinks,  and  gets 
weary  ; the  brain  becomes  tired,  and  he  falls  asleep ; 
during  sleep  the  brain  recovers  its  energy  ; during 
sleep,  which  is  the  “ rest  ” of  the  brain,  new  par- 
ticles are  added  to  it,  to  be  expended  in  thought 
again ; and  so  in  succession,  day  and  night,  for  a 
life-time. 

The  same  principle  is  applicable  in  connection 
with  the  labor  of  the  stomach ; its  work  is  to  digest 
food,  to  put  it  into  a fluid  condition,  preparatory 
to  its  absorption  into  the  system  as  a means  of 
nourishment,  strength,  and  life;  and  the  stomach’s 
“ rest  ” is  in  having  no  food  in  it  to  keep  it  at 
work ; by  that  means  it  recuperates,  gains  power 
to  act  on  subsequent  supplies  of  food,  and  in  no 
other  conceivable  way  can  it  acquire  that  power 
naturally  and  healthfully ; and  this  u rest  ” will  al- 
ways give  it  that  power.  Dyspepsia  weakens  the 
whole  body,  and  the  stomach  takes  its  share  of  the 
debility  ; in  this  condition,  if  it  cannot  do  much,  it 
may  do  a little,  can  do  something,  and  the  legiti- 
mate conclusion  is,  that  under  the  circumstances 
the  way  of  cure  is  to  give  it  a small  amount  of 
food,  thus  imposing  on  it  but  a little  labor,  as  it 
has  power  to  do  but  a little.  The  natural  steps 
to  be  taken,  then,  in 


THE  CURE  OF  DYSPEPSIA. 


139 


THE  CURE  OF  DYSPEPSIA, 

in  any  case,  are  first  to  take  exercise,  to  go  to 
work,  so  as  to  generate  gastric  juice  ; the  presence 
of  this  in  the  vessels  about  the  stomach  causes,  as 
has  been  explained,  the  sensation  of  hunger,  which 
is  to  be  met  by  small  quantities  of  food.  This  ex- 
pression of  “ small  quantity  ” is  a relative,  com- 
parative term,  and  the  reader  will  naturally  want 
something  more  definite ; but  as  no  two  persons  are 
alike  in  their  capabilities  for  taking  food  and  their 
need  of  it,  a principle  of  action  must  be  adopted 
which  will  admit  of  universal  application.  The  ex- 
ercise of  a close  observation  and  a correct  judgment 
will  meet  the  case  of  every  one.  A “ large  quan- 
tity of  food  ” is  an  amount  which,  after  having  been 
eaten,  causes  a disagreeable  reminder ; an  amount 
of  food  is  “ small  ” which,  after  having  been  eaten, 
attracts  no  attention  whatever,  unless  it  be  in  the 
way  of  a pleasurable  reminiscence.  If  a spoonful 
of  food  is  followed  by  any  disagreeable  feeling  what- 
ever, that  is  a “ large  ” amount  for  that  individual. 
If  a mail  has  not  eaten  a particle  of  food  for  a 
week,  a table-spoonful  of  meat  would  be  a “ large  ” 
amount  for  him,  would  be  “ too  much ; ” for  it 
would  throw  him  into  convulsions  in  ten  minutes  or 
’ess,  because,  although  ever  so  hungry,  the  stom- 
ach is  so  completely  exhausted,  with  the  other  parts 
of  the  body,  that  its  muscles  cannot  act  upon  it ; it 
is  too  weak,  too  near  death  or  utter  prostration,  to 
feel  the  stimulus  of  the  presence  of  food. 


140 


DYSPEPSIA. 


In  a perfectly  healthy  condition  of  the  stomach 
and  the  digestive  functions,  there  is  positively  no 
sensation  after  the  food  has  been  swallowed,  except 
that  of  agreeableness  and  of  entire  satisfaction  with 
one’s  self,  and  indeed  with  the  whole  world  be- 
sides. All  the  functions  are  perfectly  and  health- 
fully carried  on,  without  our  being  at  all  conscious 
of  any  of  these  processes.  But  if,  instead  of  this 
happy  state  of  things,  there  is  any  uncomfortable- 
ness, then  it  is  certain  that  healthful  digestion  is 
not  in  progress,  and  that  is  dyspepsia. 

DISCOMFORT  AFTER  EATING 

arises  from  one  of  two  causes : the  person  has  eaten 
too  much  for  him,  or  he  has  eaten  something  which 
the  stomach  does  not  tolerate,  which  it  cannot  ma- 
nipulate, cannot  take  hold  of,  cannot  dissolve ; but 
this  latter  is  so  seldom  the  case,  that  it  is  scarcely 
necessary  for  the  mind  to  make  special  note  of 
it.  Nine  times  out  of  ten,  the  error  consists  in 
excess  as  to  quantity  ; quality  rarely  enters  into  the 
case. 

If  the  patient  can  only  have  the  force  of  charac- 
ter to  enable  him  to  avoid  eating  too  much,  with 
this  explanation  of  what  is  “ too  much,”  his  tri- 
umph is  sure  ; he  will  conquer  the  disease,  and  will 
one  day  be  a well  man.  The  day  may  be  far  dis- 
tant, but  it  will  come,  even  if  he  is  half  a century  « 
old  before  he  enters  upon  the  dreadful  conflict ; for 
the  strife,  the  fierce  temptation,  the  high  heroism, 
the  deadly  tenacity  of  purpose  brought  into  requi- 


A HARD  EARNED  VICTORY. 


141 


sition  m any  case  of  confirmed  dyspepsia  of  long 
standing,  does  make  the  contest  literally  dreadful  to 
think  of. 

A HARD  EARNED  VICTORY. 

But  as  that  model  philanthropist,  Amos  Lawrence, 
said,  after  a fifteen  years5  fight  on  this  same  ground, 
when  he  contemplated  his  triumph,  “ If  men  could 
only  know  how  sweet  it  was,  they  would  not  hesi- 
tate a moment.”  Not  that  it  requires  fifteen  years 
of  battle  thrice  a day  to  keep  from  eating  too 
much ; it  cost  the  noble  man  so  much,  because 
he  turned  his  whole  attention  to  the  one  point  of 
not  giving  his  stomach  too  much  work  to  do  ; and 
shame  it  was  that  so  good  a man  should  have 
been  so  great  a coward ; for  in  order  to  prevent 
himself  from  eating  too  much,  he  would  not  go 
down  to  the  general  table,  but  had  a certain  amount 
brought  to  his  private  room.  It  certainly  was  the 
easiest  plan  of  conducting  the  campaign ; but  the 
manlier  course  would  have  been  to  have  fought  it 
out  at  an  abundant  table.  The  contest  was  over- 
long  in  his  case,  because  he  took  only  one  branch 
of  the  cure  ; in  addition  to  his  praiseworthy  care- 
fulness not  to  give  the  stomach  too  much  work  to 
do,  he  failed  to  pay  the  requisite  attention  to  the 
natural  means  of  procuring  a larger  amount  of 
gastric  juice ; that  is,  he  did  not  exercise  or  work 
.enough  out-of-doors. 

It  was  not  thought  profitable  to  general  readers 
to  enter  into  minute  details,  and  to  lose  time  in 
nice  philosophical  disquisitions  connected  with  dys- 


142 


DYSPEPSIA. 


pepsia,  but  rather  to  touch  on  points  applicable  to 
the  masses  of  readers.  There  is,  however,  one 
consideration  it  might  be  well  to  remark  on.  When 
the  stomach  has  been  dyspeptic  for  a long  time, 
a condition  of  things  is  sometimes  induced  which 
ends  in  forming  an  unnatural  lining  of  its  whole  in- 
terior, or  parts  of  it,  which  in  some  cases  is  de- 
tached, in  whole  or  in  part,  and  is  passed  out,  some- 
times upward,  and  at  others  downward,  seeming  to 
have  almost  the  tenacity  and  toughness  of  India  rub- 
ber or  sole  leather.  Such  cases  are  happily  rare. 

It  is  seldom  advisable  to  eat  by 

WEIGHT  AND  MEASURE. 

Hence,  in  adapting  food  to  the  capabilities  of  the 
stomach,  rather  than  the  needs  of  the  system,  it 
is  better  to  follow  a simple  rule.  If  discomfort 
is  experienced  after  a meal,  then  at  the  next 
take  less  and  less,  until  the  amount  of  food  is  so 
small  that  no  discomfort  whatever  is  experienced 
afterwards ; continue  this  amount  for  a few  days, 
and  the  stomach,  as  well  as  the  whole  body,  will 
become  stronger ; for  the  small  amount  eaten,  hav- 
ing been  well  digested,  and  converted  into  nour- 
ishing and  pure  blood,  gives  many  times  more 
strength  and  comfort  than  if  a much  larger  quan- 
tity of  food  had  been  taken,  and  which,  not  being 
properly  handled,  would  have  been  a hindrance, 
instead  of  a help  in  building  up  the  system.  After 
living  a few  days  in  the  manner  described,  the 
stomach  getting  stronger  with  the  rest  of  the  body, 


INAPPEASABLE  APPETITE. 


143 


a little  more  food  may  be  ventured  upon,  and  in  a 
day  or  two  a little  more  still,  with  the  result  of  in- 
creasing general  health,  and  strength,  and  vigor. 

In  recovering  from  dyspepsia,  as  well  as  from 
other  diseases,  the  appetite  is  occasionally  fitful  and 
capricious  ; instinct  is  sometimes  wise,  and  some  • 
times  at  fault ; the  safe  plan,  under  all  circum- 
stances, is  to  eat  very  sparingly  at  first  of  any  cov- 
eted dish,  and  feel  the  way  along,  increasing  the 
amount  by  small  degrees.  An  old  woman  in  one 
of  the  missionary  stations  abroad,  being  very  fee- 
ble, was  kindly  asked  if  she  could  think  of  any- 
thing she  could  relish ; she  replied  that  she  thought 
she  would  get  well  if  she  could  only  have  the 
roasted  head  of  a little  baby  to  pick.  It  is  not 
altogether  advisable  to  gratify  instincts  of  that 
kind ; rather  endeavor  to  direct  the  attention  to 
some  other  tidbit,  or  substitute  a monkey’s  head. 

There  is  another  condition  in  which  we  find  in- 
stinct at  fault,  and  it  is  not  remembered  that  it 
has  ever  appeared  in  print,  in  the  practical  con- 
nection in  which  it  ought  to  be  placed,  although  it 
is  at  the  very  foundation  of  the  cure  of  dyspepsia. 
A more  full  explanation  of  this  phenomenon  will  be 
found  further  on,  under  the  heading  of  a Hunger.”  3 
One  of  the  most  prevalent  symptoms  of  this  distress- 
ing malady  is  an 

INAPPEASABLE  APPETITE. 

The  patient  feels  as  if  he  would  die  if  he  did 
not  eat ; and  he  does  eat,  but  in  a short  time  is  a* 


1 See  r,p  15?  158 


144 


DYSPEPSIA. 


hungry  as  ever ; yet  after  each  repast  there  are 
tortures  of  mind  and  body,  lasting  sometimes  for 
hours,  which  amount  almost  to  an  agony,  to  be  re- 
peated after  each  meal,  for  weary  weeks  and  months 
and  years ! 

It  is  sad  to  think  of  the  multitudes  who  suffer 
from  one  or  more  of  the  symptoms  of  this  our  na- 
tional disease,  as  a result  of  ignorantly  eating  too 
much,  or  too  hastily,  or  too  often,  or  of  engaging 
too  soon  after  eating  in  severe  mental  or  manual 
labor. 

Dyspepsia  is  a disease  of  civilized  life,  but  is 
almost  unknown  in  Germany,  owing  in  part  to 
their  deliberate  way  of  doing  almost  everything, 
eating  included,  and  in  other  part  to  their  patient, 
out-door  life,  to  their  plain  food,  and  their  regular 
habits  of  eating  and  living.  They  make  haste 
slowly,  and,  as  a result,  are  the  most  generally 
thrifty  people  in  the  world,  are  the  best  scholars, 
the  most  patient  investigators,  and  have  shown 
themselves  nobly  conspicuous  and  able  in  everj^ 
creditable  department  of  civilized  life.  Quiet, 
peaceful,  courteous,  and  kind,  the  German  people 
merit  the  respect  of  the  cultivated  minds  of  all  na- 
tionalities. It  is  the 

HURRY  IN  EATING 

and  the  hurry  to  go  to  work  after  eating,  which 
make  us  a nation  of  martyrs  to  the  horrid  disease 
which  is  here  discussed.  The  type  of  an  Ameri- 
can in  business  is  to  gulp  his  cup  of  coffee  at  a 


FEELING  OF  “ GONENESS.”  145 

swallow,  grab  the  morning  paper  with  one  hand, 

' his  hat  with  the  other,  and  bolt  for  the  street  door, 
as  if  the  house  were  on  fire  and  his  life  depended 
on  the  speediest  exit  possible  ; the  moment  he  takes 
his  seat  in  his  conveyance,  whether  it  be  a private 
carriage  or  a public  vehicle,  he  is  so  completely 
immersed  in  the  item  of  latest  news  pertaining  to 
his  special  branch  of  business,  that  he  seems  to  be 
perfectly  oblivious,  for  the  time  being,  of  the  exist- 
ence of  anything  in  the  universe  besides  himself 
and  his  business.  An  American  merchant  who 
has 

FAILED  THREE  TIMES, 

and  made  himself  famous  for  all  ages,  stated  that 
for  seven  years  he  never  saw  his  children  awake, 
except  on  Sundays.  So  great  was  his  haste  to 
leave  his  home  early  in  the  morning,  to  “ get  to 
the  store,”  and  so  late  was  he  in  returning,  that 
the  little  ones  had  all  retired  for  the  night,  and  had 
not  waked  when  he  left  in  the  morning.  Such  a 
hurrying  through  life  is  always  unwise,  and  will 
be  always  attended  with  some  disaster,  either  to 
mind,  body,  or  estate. 

FEELING  OF  “ GONENESS.” 

This,  or  the  kindred  sensation  of  a u gnawing  ” 
at  the  pit  of  the  stomach,  or  any  other  uncomfort- 
ableness, indicates  that  the  machinery  of  digestion 
is  out  of  order,  that  something  is  amiss.  When 
this  occurs  in  any  mechanical  combination,  the  first 
instinctive  act  is  to  stop  the  machine  instantly , 
10 


146 


DYSPEPSIA. 


but  in  case  of  the  stomach,  at  least  when  there  is 
a morbid  appetite  and  also  as  to  some  other  sensa- 
tions, instead  of  stopping'  its  working,  we  either 
give  it  more  work  to  do,  or,  by  taking  some  stimu- 
lant, cause  it  to  work  faster,  as  by  a glass  of  brandy, 
a cup  of  tea,  or  a tonic.  It  would  be  much  more 
rational  and  beneficial,  if,  when  the  stomach  com- 
plains, we  would  empty  it  by  an  emetic,  instead  of 
filling  it  fuller  with  delicacies  or  drinks. 

This  subject  is  of  such  practical  importance,  that 
it  will  not  be  amiss  to  illustrate  the  point  in  another 
way.  When  there  is  uneasiness  in  the  stomach,  it 
results  from  eating  improperly  ; healthful  digestion 
is  not  going  on,  and  Nature  begins  to  complain. 
There  is  not  gastric  juice  enough  to  prepare  the 
food  for  the  uses  of  the  system  ; and  under  such 
circumstances,  to  add  to  the  amount,  either  by  eat- 
ing or  drinking,  is  like  adding  ice  to  a glass  of 
water  when  there  is  already  more  ice  there  than 
the  water  can  melt  in  any  reasonable  time. 

Again : If  you  want  to  kindle  a coal  fire,  take 
a small  amount  of  wood,  and  let  the  heat  of  it  be 
concentrated  on  a small  amount  of  coal,  because 
the  coal  will  not  ignite,  until  it  is,  as  it  were,  satu- 
rated, filled  with  heat.  If,  when  the  fire  does  not 
burn,  you  add  more  coal,  as  servant  girls  at  home 
or  passengers  on  railways  often  do,  and  the  stove 
does  not  give  out  enough  heat,  you  actually  put  the 
fire  out,  because  the  heat  in  the  kindling  is  diffused 
over  a larger  amount  of  coal,  and  thus  it  is  farther 
from  burning  than  ever.  Precisely  so  is  it  in  refer- 


WHET  THE  APPETITE. 


147 


ence  to  eating,  and  it  is  a point  of  the  utmost  prac- 
tical importance  in  every-day  life  to  every  man, 
woman,  and  child  ; therefore, 

It  is  wrong  to  eat  while  there  is  any  uncomforta- 
bleness in  the  stomach,  as  it  is  the  result  of  there 
being  too  much  food  there  already. 

It  is  wrong  to  eat  without  an  appetite  ; for  it  shows 
there  is  no  gastric  juice  in  the  stomach,  and  that 
Nature  does  not  need  food,  and  not  needing  it,  there 
being  no  fluid  to  receive  and  act  upon  it,  it  would 
remain  there  only  to  putrefy,  the  very  thought  of 
which  should  be  sufficient  to  deter  any  man  from 
eating  without  an  appetite  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  If  a “ tonic 55  is  taken  to 

. WHET  THE  APPETITE, 

it  is  a mistaken  course  ; for  its  only  result  is  to 
cause  one  to  eat  more,  when  already  an  amount  has 
been  eaten  beyond  what  the  gastric  juice  supplied  is 
able  to  prepare.  The  object  to  be  obtained  is  a larger 
supply  of  gastric  juice,  not  a larger  supply  of  food, 
and  whatever  fails  to  accomplish  that  essential  ob- 
ject fails  to  have  any  efficiency  towards  the  cure  of 
dyspeptic  disease  ; and  as  the  formation  of  gastric 
juice  is  directly  proportioned  to  the  wear  and  waste 
of  the  system  which  it  is  to  be  the  means  of  supply- 
ing, and  this  wear  and  waste  can  only  take  place  as 
the  result  of  exercise,  the  point  is  reached  again  that 
the  efficient  remedy  for  dyspepsia  is  work, — out-door 
work,  beneficial  and  successful  in  direct  proportion 
as  it  is  agreeable,  interesting,  and  profitable. 


118 


DYSPEPSIA. 


ANOTHER  ERROR 

in  the  treatment  and  attempted  cure  of  dyspepsia 
is,  that  finding  it  was  caused  and  continued  by  eat- 
ing too  much,  that  the  stomach  had  not  the  ability 
to  manage  so  much  food,  it  was  concluded  that  the 
best  means  of  remedying  the  evil  was  to  eat  very 
little,  almost  nothing  : this  was  the  starvation  cure 
for  many  years  ; and  even  up  to  the  present  time, 
it  is  a very  general  impression  that  dyspepsia  is  to 
be  cured  by  dieting,  and  unwise  persons,  getting 
hold  of  the  idea,  have  literally  in  many  cases  dieted 
themselves  to  death,  — reduced  themselves  so  low, 
brought  the  stomach  to  such  a debilitated  condition, 
that  it  lost  all  power  to  digest  the  food  ; then  of 
course  death  was  an  inevitable  result. 

If  food  enough  is  not  eaten  to  sustain  the  sys- 
tem, it  gets  weaker  and  weaker  every  day ; the 
stomach  must  have  its  share  of  the  weakness,  and 
must  every  day  have  less  and  less  power  to  perform 
its  office.  The  very  first  step  in  the  cure  of  any 
case  of  dyspepsia  is  to  strengthen  the  stomach  ; 
this  must  be  preceded  by  strengthening  the  body  ; 
and  this  never  can  be  healthfully,  and  permanently, 
and  safely  done  in  any  other  way  than  by  obtaining 
nourishment  from  the  food  eaten.  All  other  efforts 
must  fail,  always  have  failed,  always  will ; and  yet 
this  is  almost  universally  attempted.  To  strengthen 
the  body,  nourishing  food  must  be  given,  — food 
which  requires  least  stomach  power  to  digest,  and 
which,  when  digested,  proves  to  be  a material  the 


THE  DIFFICULTY  MET. 


149 


nearest  possible  like  the  bodily  elements.  And 
here  is  where  the  great  error  of  modern  times  has 
crept  in,  and  which  has  perpetuated  the  disease 
instead  of  curing  it.  It  was  and  is  still  almost 
universally  believed  that,  to  cure  dyspepsia,  veg- 
etable food  should  be  eaten  rather  than  animal, 
and  thousands  have  found  by  sad  experience  that 
they  grew  worse  ; now  and  then  a closely  observant 
mind  pursued  a directly  opposite  course,  excluded 
vegetables  wholly,  and  ate  meat,  and  bread,  and 
fruits,  with  a triumphant  result ; because  the  es- 
sence of  dyspepsia,  as  its  name  imports,  is  a diffi- 
culty in  preparing  the  food  for  the  needs  of  the  sys- 
tem ; the  Roman  term  “ indigestio  ” (we  add  an  ri) 
means  a failure  of  preparation,  — no  preparation  at 
all ; both  intimating  a want  of  power  of  preparation, 
inability  to  do  the  necessary  work,  want  of  strength. 

TO  MEET  THIS  DIFFICULTY 

as  well  as  possible,  it  would  seem  to  be  the  dictate 
of  common  sense  to  endeavor  to  favor  the  stomach, 
and  give  it  the  food  which  requires  the  least  strength 
to  prepare  ; which,  in  other  words,  is  most  easily, 
soonest  digested,  soonest  dissolved  by  the  gastric 
juice ; and  here  scientific  observation  comes  to  our 
aid.  By  looking  at  the  tables  at  the  end  of  the 
book,  the  general  truth  will  be  observed,  to  the  sur- 
prise, perhaps,  of  many  readers,  that  fruits  require 
an  hour  or  two  to  digest,  vegetables  five  hours,  roast 
beef  and  roast  mutton  some  three  hours,  and  good 
bread  about  the  same ; not  only  is  roast  meat  or 


150 


DYSPEPSIA. 


broiled  digested  in  about  half  the  time  of  boiled 
cabbage,  but  it  is  so  near  alike,  in  its  elements,  to 
our  own  bodies,  that  it  is  appropriated  to  the  uses 
and  needs  of  the  system  with  the  least  possible 
trouble  ; and  so  with  properly  prepared  soups,  eaten 
with  coarse  breads.  As  proof  of  this  statement, 
dyspepsia  is  scarcely  known  among  the  soup-loving 
Germans,  and  not  much  among  beef-eating  Eng- 
iishmen.  It  is  not  intended  to  say  that  a Dutch- 
man never  has  dyspepsia  because  he  will  have  his 
soup  every  day,  nor  that  the  people  who  glory  in 
roasted  meats  escape  the  torments  of  indigestion 
solely  because  they  eat  largely  of  beef  and  mutton  ; 
but  it  is  meant  that  if  they  are  exempted  from  these 
maladies,  it  is  the  philosophical  result  of  giving  their 
stomachs  the  least  possible  work  to  do,  — in  that 
they  live  largely  on  food  which  is  easily  appropri- 
ated to  purposes  of  nutrition.  To  sum  up,  then,  all 
the  practical  points  in  connection  with  the  treatment 
and  cure  of  dyspeptic  diseases,  the  following  recapi- 
tulation is  made. 

Out-door  activities,  by  promoting  the  wear  and 
tear  of  the  body,  cause  a preparation  of  gastric  juice 
which  occasions  hunger ; this  hunger  enables  us 
to  partake  of  food  with  a relish,  which  is  an  impor- 
tant requisite  of  a prompt,  easy,  and  healthful  diges- 
tion ; in  other  words,  to  get  well  of  dyspepsia,  a 
man  must  get  an  appetite  by  going  to  work. 

The  next  step  is,  eat  such  food  as  is  easily  di- 
gested, and  which  at  the  same  time  contains  ele- 
ments most  like  the  flesh  and  bones  of  the  human 


THE  DIFFICULTY  MET. 


151 


body,  and  require  tlie  least  amount  of  labor  to  be 
made  a part  of  it. 

This  food  should  be  finely  divided,  in  pieces  not 
larger  than  a pea  ; then  chewed  deliberately  and 
eaten  slowly,  so  that  each  particle  may  pass  into  the 
stomach  well  crushed  and  ground  by  the  teeth  ; for 
when  that  is  done,  the  gastric  juice,  as  previously 
explained,  entirely  envelops  each  particle,  and  melts 
or  dissolves  it  rapidly. 

The  amount  of  food  to  be  eaten  by  each  dyspep- 
tic should  be  measured  by  his  ability  to  eat  without 
discomfort.  This  must  be  ascertained  by  close  ob- 
servation, and  can  always  be  regulated.  Whatever 
amount  is  followed  by  any  unpleasant  reminder  in 
sensation,  is  “ too  much.”  However  much  can  be 
eaten  with  no  disagreeable  feeling  from  the  instant 
after  it  is  swallowed,  that  is  the  temperate  amount 
for  such  person,  because  that  amount  is  healthfully 
digested,  will  make  good,  pure  blood,  and  will  im- 
part nourishment  and  strength  to  the  whole'  body; 
and  as  the  stomach  will  take  its  share  of  that  strength, 
it  will  be  able  from  time  to  time  to  digest  more 
food ; hence  the  patient  may  carefully  and  gradu- 
ally increase  the  amount  eaten. 

The  meals  of  a dyspeptic  should  be  not  less  than 
five  hours  apart.  Should  there  be  no  appetite  when 
the  time  for  eating  comes,  then  resolutely  wait 
until  the  next  meal ; but,  at  that  deferred  meal, 
eat  no  more  than  if  a meal  had  not  been  lost, 
thus  insuring  that  the  stomach  shall  not  be  over- 
loaded, which  would  cause  a fresh  attack  of  dys- 
pepsia, and  thus  retard  the  cure. 


152 


DYSPEPSIA. 


Breakfast  should  be  taken  in  the  morning,  not 
later  than  *an  hour  after  sunrise ; dinner  about 
midday,  and  supper  at  sundown : these  hours  are 
not  imperative,  but  they  are  the  best,  as  it  enables 
the  person  to  take  the  three  meals  during  daylight, 
with  a five-hour  interval,  and  prevents  the  error  of 
taking  supper  without  a sufficient  interval  before 
retiring. 

The  first  thing  after  each  meal  is  to  retire  to  a 
pure  atmosphere  ; outside  the  walls  of  the  house 
is  best,  as  long  as  the  weather  is  warm  enough  to 
prevent  a feeling  of  chilliness  ; such  a feeling  should 
be  guarded  against  with  great  care,  as  it  is  always 
injurious,  and,  in  weak  constitutions,  has,  on  several 
occasions,  caused  death,  when  the  chill  has  been 
decided  and  severe.  If  it  is  fire  time  of  year,  then 
sit  in  a room  where  there  is  an  open  fire  blazing  on 
the  hearth,  such,  for  example,  as  is  given  out  by 
the  Low-down  Grate  of  Dixon  & Sons,  of  Phila- 
delphia ; for  it  makes  the  most  cheerful  and  purest 
heat  from  wood  or  peat,  or  soft  or  hard  coal,  that 
can  be  devised. 

For  the  first  half-hour  after  eating,  there  should 
be  quietude  of  body,  with  the  exhilaration  arising 
from  cheerful  conveisation,  accompanied  with  a 
very  leisure  walking  across  the  floor,  with  the  chin 
above  a horizontal  line,  and  the  hands  held  in  each 
other  behind  ; this  promotes  a gentle  circulation  of 
the  blood,  throws  out  the  chest  without  an  appre- 
ciable effort,  and  aids  in  full  breathing. 


WHAT  SHALL  WE  EAT  ? 


153 


WHAT  SHALL  WE  EAT? 

is  the  eager  inquiry  of  the  unfortunate  dyspeptic. 
Unless  the  case  is  confirmed  or  very  aggravated, 
there  need  be  but  one  rule  for  all  : eat  whatever 
you  relish  most,  in  quantities  which  shall  not  be 
followed  by  the  slightest  bodily  discomfort  what- 
ever ; but  the  nearer  one  can  keep  to  coarse  breads, 
with  butter,  and  ripe,  raw,  perfect  fruits  and  berries 
in  their  natural  state,  without  cream,  or  milk,  or 
sugar,  and  rare  roast  meats,  cut  up  as  fine  as  a pea 
and  chewed  deliberately,  with  tomatoes  as  a vege- 
table, the  more  speedy  and  encouraging  will  be 
the  improvement  and  ultimate  cure. 

The  supper  of  the  dyspeptic,  the  last  meal  of  the 
day,  - should  be  made  of  one  cup  of  warm  drink, 
with  cold  bread  and  butter.  In  many  cases,  how- 
ever, pilot-bread,  or  ship-biscuit,  or  the  crust  of 
common  bread  broken  into  the  cup  of  warm  drink, 
will  agree  with  the  stomach  much  better  than  the 
ordinary  bread  and  butter. 

Many  persons  have  found  very  great  advantage 
in  using  altogether  the  bread  named  ; some  prefer 
to  take  one  or  two  cakes,  place  them  on  a plate, 
cover  them  with  boiling  water  for  a minute,  pour 
it  off,  and  then  cover  again  ; this  softens  the  hard 
biscuit,  on  which  butter  may  be  spread,  if  the  but- 
ter does  not  disagree  with  the  stomach. 

As  it  is  often  difficult  to  get  pilot-bread  or  ship- 
oiscuit  out  of  cities,  a substitute  may  be  made  by 
any  family,  by  mixing  up  common  flour,  or,  which 


154 


DYSPEPSIA. 


is  better,  u shorts,”  or  flour  from  the  whole  grain 
of  wheat ; this  contains  the  bran ; bread  made  of 
this  contains  very  important  elements  not  found  in 
white  flour,  and  gives  more  strength  than  it  does  ; 
strength  to  bones,  and  teeth,  and  brain ; this  flour 
should  be  mixed  up  with  water,  in  the  ordinary  way, 
— rain-water  is  best,  because  it  is  soft  and  pure ; 
then  make  into  cakes  the  size  of  a common  saucer, 
less  than  half  an  inch  thick  ; put  in  a hot  oven,  and 
keep  it  hot  until  baked  enough,  without  burning ; 
such  bread  is  exceedingly  nutritious,  and  will  keep 
for  months.  It  would  answer  an  admirable  purpose, 
by  promoting  digestion  and  strengthening  the  teeth, 
if  this  hard  bread  were  not  softened  at  all,  but  were 
broken  in  small  bits,  not  over  half  an  inch  across, 
and  chewed  deliberately,  so  as  to  be  softened  by  the 
juices  of  the  mouth.  Sometimes,  if  it  can  be  done 
without  uncomfortableness  in  the  stomach,  the  sup- 
per above  suggested,  may  be  substituted  by  a dish 
of  berries  in  their  ripe,  raw,  perfect  natural  state, 
not  drinking  any  fluid  with  them,  nor  for  two  hours 
after,  so  as  to  prevent  fermentation. 

WHAT  SHALL  WE  DRINK 

at  our  ordinary  meals  ? is  another  natural  inquiry 
of  the  dyspeptic.  The  answer  to  this  is  more  or 
^ess  applicable  to  all,  whether  sick- or  well.  Actual 
observation  showed,  in  Beaumont’s  experiments, 
that  if  cold  water  was  taken  into  the  stomach  dur- 
ing a meal  or  soon  after,  the  process  of  digestion 
was  instantly  arrested  ; and  to  arrest  a natural 


COFFEE  AND  TEA. 


155 


process  must  be  mischievous*.  The  process  did  not 
recommence  until  the  water  drank  had  been  raised 
to  the  heat  of  what  was  in  the  stomach  before, 
which  was  about  a hundred  degrees  ; ordinary  ice- 
water,  as  used  at  our  tables,  is  about  thirty-five  de- 
grees ; spring  and  well  water  are  not  so  cold.  To 
heat  a glass  of  ice-water  from  thirty-five  to  a hun- 
dred degrees,  must  rob  the  general  system  of  a 
great  deal  of  its  warmth,  and  has  often  thrown 
persons  at  the  table  into  a chill.  Invalids  frequently 
have  a chilly  sensation  at  the  table,  because  they 
have  so  little  vitality,  — such  a small  amount  of 
heat,  that  there  is  none  to  spare  to  heat  cold  water 
or  even  cold  food  ; and  as  the  milk  provided  for  the 
young  of  animals  and  man  is  warm,  it  may  be 
readily  concluded  that  what  is  drank  at  meal-time, 
ordinarily,  should  be  warm  ; it  seems  at  least  to  be 
natural ; at  the  same  time,  persons  in  robust  health 
may  drink  cold  fluids  at  meals  with  apparent  impu- 
nity. But  such  a practice  is  not  advised,  for  it 
seems  to  be  unnatural. 

COFFEE  AND  TEA 

are  usually  taken  at  least  for  two  meals  in  the 
day  ; for  dyspeptics  and  the  young  this  is  not  ad- 
vised ; but  a good,  and  nutritious,  and  healthful 
warm  drink  for  all,  and  many  cannot  tell  the  differ- 
ence between  it  and 

THE  BEST  MOCHA  COFFEE, 
for  breakfast,  is  made  thus : parch  corn 


(Indian) 


156 


DYSPEPSIA. 


meal  to  the  color  of  common  ground  coffee  ; take 
about  one  teacupful  and  mix  it  with  one  quart  of 
molasses  or  sirup ; put  it  into  a hot  oven,  keep  it 
heated  and  well  stirred  until  it  is  pretty  well  dried 
in  lumps,  then  use  as  much  as  is  agreeable.  So 
much  for  the  coffee  as  a warm  drink  for  breakfast. 

A GOOD  TEA 

for  all  the  young,  for  invalids,  sedentary  and  ner- 
vous persons,  is  made  as  follows  : mix  boiling  water 
and  boiling  milk,  half  and  half,  and  sweeten  to  suit ; 
this  is  simple,  is  nutritious,  and  will  be  grateful  to 
many  stomachs  during  a meal,  if  taken  warm,  almost 
hot ; either  this  or  the  “ coffee  ” may  be  taken  at 
dinner-time,  one  cup  and  no  more  until  health  is 
restored. 

In  reference  to  the  weakness,  the  inability  of  the 
stomach  in  dyspepsia  to  prepare  a full  meal  for  the 
nourishment  and  support  of  the  system,  there  might 
be  power  to  prepare  a part  of  a meal.  It  would 
then  seem  to  follow  that  if  a dyspeptic  would  eat 
less  at  a meal,  the  whole  difficulty  would  be  re- 
moved. 

But  at  this  point  there  comes  in  one  of  the  most 
curious  and  suggestive  ideas  connected  with  the 
subject  of  human  health,  which  we  do  not  remem- 
ber ever  to  have  seen  published  or  to  have  heard 
mentioned ; yet  it  seems  to  be  at  the  very  founda- 
tion of  the  cure  of  dyspepsia. 

The  stomach  of  the  dyspeptic  has  not  the  strength 
to  prepare  the  food  for  imparting  nourishment  to 


HUNGER. 


157 


the  system ; hence  the  patient  grows  weaker  and 
more  wasted  generally,  although  some  dyspeptics 
appear  plump  and  almost  fat ; it  is  because  the  flesh 
is  watery,  and  the  patient  often  complains  of  being 

“weak  as  water.” 

Generally  dyspeptics  are  long,  lank,  and  lean,  a 
model  skeleton.  The  idea  referred  to  is  not  very 
readily  expressed  in  few  words  ; but  it  is  of  such 
practical  importance  to  communicate  it  in  such  a 
way  as  to  make  a lasting  impression  on  the  mind, 
that  pains  will  be  taken  to  that  end. 

HUNGER 

is  an  instinct,  the  result  of  a kind  of  telegraphic 
communication,  sent  from  every  part  of  the  body  to 
the  stomach,  thence  to  the  brain,  and  the  mind, 
indicating  that  repair  of  wear  and  waste  is  needed  ; 
this  sensation  causes  the  preparation  of  a bland 
fluid  in  receptacles  which  are  placed  on  the  sides  or 
walls  of  the  stomach ; as  these  vessels  become  fuller 
and  fuller,  the  sensation  of  hunger  increases,  wdiich 
sensation  is  pleasurably  gratified  by  eating  ; for  the 
moment  the  first  mouthful  enters  the  stomach,  these 
receptacles  begin  to  unload  themselves,  very  much 
as  many  readers  have  noticed  a gush  of  liquid  from 
the  inside  of  the  cheeks  at  the  instant  of  putting 
something  to  eat  in  the  mouth  while  very  hungry. 
But  the  dyspeptic  stomach  fails  to  send  nutriment 
to  the  parts  of  the  system  requiring  it,  because,  al- 
though a plenty  of  food  is  there,  it  has  not  strength 


158 


DYSPEPSIA. 


to  prepare  nutriment  from  it,  and  blind  instinct, 
thinking  as  it  were  that  no  nutriment  comes,  be- 
cause there  is  no  food  in  the  stomach,  keeps  call- 
ing for  more  food,  repeats  its  signals  that  the  wear 
and  tear  must  be  supplied  for  repairing  purposes ; 
hence  it  is  that  the  dyspeptic  has  a voracious  appe- 
tite at  times,  is  almost  as  hungry  soon  after  a meal 
as  he  was  before  he  sat  down,  and  he  often  exclaims, 
in  anger  or  hopelessness,  — 

44  EATING  DOES  ME  NO  GOOD.” 

This  arises  from  the  fact,  that  although  there  is  a 
plenty  of  food  in  the  stomach,  there  is  no  power  to 
get  nourishment  out  of  it ; but  nourishment  is  the 
thing  which  is  wanted,  the  system  feels  itself  almost 
perishing  for  want  of  it,  and  cries  in  louder  and 
louder  tones,  just  like  a hungry  baby.  This  is  the 
false  appetite  of  the  dyspeptic,  and  is  one  of  his 
chief  tormentors.  He  is  always  hungry,  always 
craving,  yet  never  satisfied.  He  gets  so  hungry 
sometimes,  about  an  hour  before  the  regular  meals, 
that  he  feels  as  if  it  was  impossible  to  wait  till  that 
interminable  time  of  an  hour  should  pass  along. 
Just  at  this  point  almost  all  dyspeptics  will  eat,  and 
thus  aggravate  the  disease,  and  make  it  more  incur- 
able ; they  eat  a little  44  to  stay  the  stomach,”  as 
they  express  it,  to  quiet  the  painful  gnawings  within  ; 
but  by  so  doing  they  but  increase  the  burden,  for 
before  this  can  be  digested,  the  regular  meal  comes 
on,  the  digestion  of  the  44  snack  ” is  arrested,  and  is 
kept  thereby  so  long  in  the  stomach  that  it  decom- 


GOOD  VINEGAR. 


159 


poses,  sours,  aggravates  all  the  symptoms,  and  aids 
to  perpetuate  the  disease.  In  the  case  above,  it  is 
more  nutriment  that  the  system  is  crying  for,  rather 
than  more  food ; and  nutriment  must  be  given  by 
taking  more  exercise  rather  than  more  food,  for  ex- 
ercise prepares  more  gastric  juice. 

THE  SEVERE  GNAWING 

in  dyspepsia,  experienced  before  the  regular  hour 
for  eating  arrives,  should  be  heroically  resisted ; for 
to  eat  a little  to  appease  it,  is  but  to  parley  with 
your  worst  enemy,  to  aid  in  fixing  the  malady  so 
deep  into  the  constitution  as  to  defy  all  human 
means  of  extirpation. 

But  when  more  food  is  taken  into  the  stomach 
than  there  is  gastric  juice  present  to  dissolve  prop- 
erly, nature  gives  some  disagreeable  sensation  indi- 
cating that  something  is  wrong,  and  another  morsel 
should  not  be  swallowed  until  that  wrong  has  been 
rectified.  These  sensations,  showing  that  an  error 
in  eating  as  to  quantity  or  quality  has  been  com- 
mitted, oftenest  in  the  former,  are  different  in  dif- 
ferent individuals,  and  are  called  symptoms  or  signs 
of  disease ; they  are  both  physical  and  mental,  are 
over  fifty  in  number,  and  have  been  already  enu- 
merated as  those  which  are  most  common  or  strik- 
ing. 

GOOD  VINEGAR. 

is  the  nearest  in  its  action  on  the  food  to  that  of 
gastric  juice,  known  to  science.  It  does  not  agree 
with  some  dyspeptic  stomachs,  but  it  is  not  only 


160 


DYSPEPSIA. 


grateful,  but  decidedly  beneficial  to  many,  seeming 
to  add  to  the  power  of  digestion.  Cold,  raw,  tender 
cabbage,  cut  up  fine,  a handful  of  it,  with  a table- 
spoonful of  vinegar,  is  a cabbage  salad,  and  is  a great 
aid  to  weak  stomachs ; it  is  a good  digester,  is  called 

COLE  SLAW, 

and  is  found  to  digest  in  the  stomach  in  about  an 
hour ; boiled  cabbage  with  vinegar  requires  five 
hours  ; hence  we  may  reasonably  conclude  that  the 
former  is  easy  of  digestion,  and  may  be  taken  at  din- 
ner time  by  a dyspeptic  with  positive  advantage. 

For  the  great  mass  of  dyspeptics,  very  succinct 
instruction  may  be  given,  in  the  light  of  what  has 
been  stated,  with  an  encouraging  certainty  of  cure, 
and  it  is  this : work  out-of-doors  until  you  are  really 
hungry  for  dinner ; eat  as  much  as  you  want  of 
plain,  nourishing  food,  without  having  one  single 
uncomfortable  feeling  after  it,  giving  preference  to 
that  which  is  most  palatable,  and  that  “ agrees ; ” 
after  pleasant  relaxation  of  mind  and  rest  of  body 
in  a pure  atmosphere  with  cheerful  surroundings  for 
about  an  hour,  go  to  work  again  out-of-doors,  and 
keep  at  it  until  the  meal  has  been  thoroughly  di- 
gested ; take  the  supper  already  recommended  ; get 
all  the  sleep  possible  between  ten  and  seven  o’clock  * 
eat  as  much  breakfast  as  you  can  without  subsequent 
discomfort,  and,  after  a suitable  rest,  go  to  work  as 
on  the  day  before,  with  an  absorbing  object  in  view. 

Such  a course,  persisted  in  with  a spirit  of  deter- 
mination and  intelligent  hopefulness  and  courage, 


CURE  OF  DYSPEPSIA. 


161 


will  cure  any  curable  case  in  a reasonable  time  ; will 
effectually  and  permanently  cure  nine  cases  out  of 
ten.  Now  and  then  a peculiar  case  will  present  it- 
self which  must  have  a modification ; it  would  not 
be  possible  in  one  book  to  meet  every  case  ; but 
what  has  been  proposed  will  seldom  fail  to  make  an 
encouraging  change  in  a fortnight,  and  whoever, 
under  such  circumstances,  would  not  persist  in  a 
course  which  began  to  do  good,  is  unworthy  of  be- 
ing cured  ; the  presumption  would  be  that  what 
began  to  improve  a man,  would  continue  to  do  him 
good,  if  persisted  in. 

If  a man  has  been  a dyspeptic  for  years,  it  is  not 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  injury  to  his  system 
can  be  repaired  as  soon  as  in  the  case  of  one  whose 
stomach  has  been  out  of  order  for  a few  months 
only  ; but  it  is  believed  that  a patient  courage  in 
carrying  out  the  instructions  given,  with  an  intelli- 
gent judgment,  would  permanently  cure  the  great 
mass  of  dyspeptic  cases : it  has  been  done  multi- 
tudes of  times.  Aggravated  cases  of  dyspepsia,  of 
years’  standing,  have  been  cured,  and  remain  cured 
to  the  end  of  a long  life,  without  one  grain  or  drop 
of  medicine,  simply  by  the  intelligent  observance  of 
the  instructions  given ; and  there  is  no  reason  what- 
ever to  suppose  that  thousands  of  other  cases  should 
not  be  likewise  permanently  cured  in  a reasonable 
time  in  the  same  manner,  because  the  means  used 
are  natural. 

If  dyspepsia  can  be  thus  cured,  and  cured  per- 
manently and  with  such  encouraging  certainty, 
11 


162 


DYSPEPSIA. 


why  has  not  the  plan  attained  a world-wide  pop- 
ularity ? One  reason  is,  there  is  no  mystery  about 
it ; a second,  because  it  costs  nothing  ; a third,  be- 
cause it  requires  self-denial ; and,  fourth,  it  requires 
moral  courage. 

If  dyspepsia  could  be  cured  by  drinking  a pint 
of  liquid  preparation  of  asafetida  with  some  un- 
known drug  combined  equally  nauseous,  and  it 
were  sold  at  ten  dollars  a pint,  in  spite  of  its  price 
and  its  nauseousness  the  seller  would  gather  the  in- 
come of  Astor  or  a Stewart  annually,  because  it 
requires  no  trouble  beyond  the  momentary  swal- 
lowing ; but  daily  effort  and  self-denial  for  weeks, 
and  weary  months  sometimes,  prove  too  bitter  a 
pill  for  human  nature.  Rather  than  try  tlm  plan 
proposed  for  a month,  the  multitude  prefer  to  ex- 
periment on  ten  thousand  other  methods,  one  after 
another,  because  they  can  be  tried  passively,  while 
they  are  permitted  to  eat  and  drink  almost  what 
they  please,  and,  above  all,  to  do  nothing  but  loll, 
and  loaf,  and  lounge  about  the  house,  swallowing 
this  man’s  bitters  and  that  man’s  tonics,  guzzling 
wine,  swilling  brandy,  and  cheating  the  appetite 
by  the  beguilements  of  cookety,  to  the  end  of  in- 
creasing the  malady  every  day,  and  making  glorious 
life  a misery. 

Instead  of  working  in  the  open  air  until  one  is 
hungry,  then  eating  a moderate  amount  of  plain 
food  and  working  out-doors  again  until  it  is  digested 
healthfully  and  passed  out  of  the  stomach,  thus 
making  way  for  more  food,  gaining  strength  and 


CURE  OF  DYSPEPSIA. 


163 


vigor  and  new  life  and  power  daily,  a half-and-half 
course  is  pursued,  thus  : the  poor  unfortunate  begins 
to  inquire,  “ Will  it  hurt  me  to  eat  this  ? ” and  as 
to  out-door  exercise,  between  its  being  too  warm 
or  too  cold,  too  damp  or  too  windy,  too  late  or  too 
early,  it  is  managed  to  walk  about  a mile  in  a 
month ; for  these  reasons,  to  wit,  that  not  one  in  a 
hundred  has  any  force  of  character,  any  moral 
courage,  has  not  the  spirit  of  a man,  but  is  a moral 
coward,  the  masses  will  still  remain  martyrs  to  dys- 
pepsia until  they  die. 

The  rule  ought  to  be  with  all  sedentary  persons, 
especially  with  dyspeptics,  to  be  out-of-doors  in  the 
open  air,  actively,  every  day,  rain  or  shine,  regard- 
less of  the  weather.  If  it  is  raining,  take  an  um- 
brella, and  let  it  rain  ; if  it  snows,  no  one  was  ever 
hurt  by  snow-flakes ; if  it  is  windy,  wind  purifies 
the  air,  and  so  much  the  better  for  your  lungs  ; if 
it  is  cold,  wrap  up  well  before  you  leave  the  house, 
shut  your  mouth,  and  move  off  briskly  ; if  it  is  mid- 
summer, take  your  walk  just  before  sunrise,  and 
walk  two  hours  very  leisurely.  It  should  be  re- 
membered that  bodily  exercise  is  essential  to  the 
maintenance  of  health ; much  more  is  it  necessary 
to  regaining  it.  If  circumstances  connected  with 
the  weather  present  obstacles  to  your  taking  exer- 
cise, so  much  the  worse  for  you  ; a miracle  will  not 
be  wrought  to  procure  a dispensation  for  your  ben- 
efit and  behoof,  so  that  you  may  omit  the  exercise 
with  impunity ; not  any  more  than  if  your  house 
were  burning  in  hot  weather,  its  being  hot  ex- 


164 


DYSPEPSIA. 


cused  you  from  tlie  necessity  of  putting  it  out ; 
and  yet  this  is  the  mode  of  reasoning  which  a cer- 
tain class  of  persons  adopt  to  excuse  them  from 
going  out-of-doors  or  going  to  church,  unless  the 
weather  exactly  suits.  If  it  is  a man’s  duty  to  his 
Maker,  and  to  his  fellow-man  as  an  encouragement 
and  a good  example,  to  go  to  church  on  the  Sab- 
bath day,  its  being  a little  too  warm  or  cold,  too 
wet  or  dusty,  too  cloudy  or  too  clear,  does  not  ex- 
empt from  the  duty. 

Still  there  is  a practical  substitute  for  not  taking 
out-door  exercise,  if  it  is  insisted  that  the  weather 
is  not  suitable. 

LIVE  ON  BREAD  AND  WATER, 

literally,  every  day  on  which  no  exercise  is  taken, 
and  then  a person  will  get  well  of  ordinary  dys- 
pepsia almost  as  soon  as  under  other  circum- 
stances. Proof  of  this  principle  is  found  in  the 
cases  already  given,  where  persons  sent  to  prison 
rapidly  improved  in  health  on  prison  fare,  and  the 
cessation  of  improper  indulgences,  such  as  smoking, 
chewing,  snuffing,  and  drinking. 

ROCKING-CHAIRS. 

If  persons  are  debilitated  so  that  but  little  exer- 
cise can  be  taken,  and  their  means  do  not  allow 
them  to  ride,  a very  great  advantage  will  be  found 
in  rocking  under  a piazza  or  tree,  or  in  a well 
aired  room,  — always  remembering  that  there  is  no 
pure  air  within  any  four  walls,  and  that  the  actual 


CARRIAGE  RIDING. 


165 


out-door  air  and  sunlight  for  one  hour  will  do  more 
good  than  a two  hours’  performance  of  the  same  ex- 
ercise within  inclosures.  There  is  a beauty  to  the 
eye  in 


all  out-doors; 

a charm  to  the  mind,  an  exhilaration  to  the  spirits, 
and  a life  to  the  body,  which  nothing  else  can  give 
to  an  invalid  ; and  it  is  a world’s  loss  of  happiness, 
that  this  great  catholicon  of  nature  is  so  neglected 
by  ailing  persons  under  the  deceptive  plea  of  unsuit- 
able weather,  that  they  will  take  cold ; forgetting  a 
truth  everywhere  acknowledged,  that  the  more  a 
person  is  out-of-doors,  the  less  danger  is  there  of 
taking  cold,  and  that  those  who  are  out-of-doors  all 
of  daylight  seldom  take  cold  at  all. 

• CARRIAGE  RIDING, 

in  the  languid  manner  in  which  the  pampered  drive 
over  our  asphaltic  pavements  and  our  splendid 
Park,  is  certainly  much  better  than  nothing,  for  it 
gives  the  opportunity  of  a pure  air  the  meanwhile  ; 
but  the  less  favored  should  not  feel  discouraged  or 
repine  at  their  seemingly  harder  lot ; for  an  hour’s 
ride  in  an  omnibus  over  rough  pavements,  or  in  a 
street  car,  has  advantages  over  the  private  car- 
riage, and  can  be  indulged  in  at  the  small  cost  of 
about  a cent  a mile  ; for  it  is  important  to  bear  in 
mind  that  the  efficient  remedies  so  much  insisted 
on,  and  with  such  preciseness,  and  at  such  length, 
are  out-door  air  and  effort. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


NEURALGIA. 

Neuralgia  is  literally  “ nerve-ache,”  being 
composed  of  two  Greek  words,  “ neuros,”  nerve, 
and  “ algos,”  ache  or  pain ; indeed,  there  is  no 
pain  without  a nerve,  and  no  nerve  which  is  not 
capable  of  being  pained  ; so  that  in  reality  every 
pain  is  a neuralgia ; but  by  the  term  in  common 
conversation,  it  is  made  to  mean  a severe  pain  with- 
out a visible  cause.  A burn  gives  pain,  but  it  is 
not  called  neuralgia,  since  the  cause  of  the  pain  is 
apparent;  this  article  treats  of  that  kind  of  pain 
which  has  no  visible,  tangible  cause. 

If  pain  is  caused  by  any  process  which  is  de- 
stroying the  texture  or  substance  of  the  body,  as 
cancer,  we  call  it  an  organic  disease ; when  the 
lungs  are  decaying  away  with  consumption,  it  is  an 
organic  disease ; all  diseases  of  the  heart  are  or- 
ganic which  involve  the  integrity  of  its  structure  ; 
all  organic  diseases  are  necessarily  fatal. 

Another  kind  of  disease  is  called  “ functional,”  or 
constitutional ; the  ordinary  liver  complaint  is  a 
functional  disease,  so  is  a common  cold,  so  is  neu- 
ralgia. Of  all  functional  diseases  we  may  get  well 
permanently ; may  become  as  healthy  as  at  any 
previous  time  of  life.  If  a clock  has  a wheel  broken 


FUNCTIONAL  DISEASE. 


167 


or  a cog  removed,  it  is  an  “ organic  ” mishap ; if  it 
is  only  clogged  with  dust  or  other  thing,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  wheels  working,  it  is  a “ functional 99 
lisorder ; it  can  be  made  as  clean  as  it  was  on  the 
first  day  of  its  completion,  and  may  be  made  to 
keep  as  perfect  time  as  when  it  first  left  the  hand 
of  its  maker. 

In  the  article  on  nervousness,  it  is  explained  that 
nerve  and  blood-vessels  lie  side  by  side  along  every 
fibre  of  the  system,  and  that  the  slightest  touch  of 
a nerve  by  the  point  of  a pin,  gives  pain ; as  in  the 
nerve  of  a tooth,  the  softest  touch  of  the  dentist’s 
instrument  causes  an  instantaneous  exclamation  and 
shrinking  away. 

When  blood  is  bad  from  being  thicker  than  com- 
mon, — as  in  biliousness,  when  it  has  bile  mixed  with 
it,  — or  when  there  is  too  much  blood,  by  having 
eaten  too  much  and  exercised  too  little,  then  in  this 
thick  state  it  does  not  move  along  the  blood-vessels, 
the  nerves,  and  arteries  with  its  natural  rapidity, 
any  more  than  very  muddy  water  would  pass  along 
a hose  pipe  or  other  channel  as  quick  as  if  it  were 
clear ; the  consequence  is  that  as  the  heart  sends 
on  the  blood  as  fast  as  ever,  and  as  it  does  not 
pass  through  the  arteries  and  veins  as  quick  as  it 
ought  to  do,  there  is  necessarily  an  accumulation  ; 
for  a while  the  blood-vessels  accommodate  them- 
selves to  the  necessities  of  the  case,  and  distend  a 
little  ; then  a little  more,  having  more  blood  in  them 
than  belongs  there ; but  if  a vein  distends,  it  must 
push  against  its  neighbor  nerve,  — crowds  it ; the 


168 


NEURALGIA. 


nerve  complains,  just  as  a man  complains  if  he  is 
crowded  a little  overmuch  on  the  street,  or  in  a 
vehicle  by  a not  over-polite  neighbor ; the  com- 
plaint which  the  nerve  makes  is  what  is  called 
“ neuralgia.” 

In  one  part  of  the  face  a nerve  passes  through  a 
small  hole  in  the  bone ; when  a blood-vessel  is 
overfull  in  such  a locality,  the  nerve  cannot  yield 
a particle ; it  is  pressed  on  one  side  by  the  blood- 
vessel, and  on  the  other  by  the  unyielding  bone, 
resulting  in  the  most  intolerable  pain,  called  by  the 
French,  Tic-douloureux. 

Persons  subject  to  neuralgia  are  those  who  have 
no  active  employment,  are  troubled  with  cold  feet, 
or  constipation,  or  dyspepsia,  — all  these  having  a 
tendency  to  make  the  blood  thick,  impure,  and 
sluggish ; and  unless  these  symptoms  are  removed, 
and  the  state  of  things  which  caused  them  is  recti- 
fied, a cure  is  impossible.  There  are  several  meth- 
ods of  alleviation ; but  a permanent  cure  is  what 
every  reader  should  endeavor  to  accomplish,  and  a 
cure  is  certain  if  proper  means  are  used  and  are 
persevered  in. 

The  pain  of  neuralgia  is  caused  by  there  being 
too  much  blood  in  the  part  affected  ; this  is  easily 
proven,  for  if  a mustard  plaster  is  put  over  the 
spot  or  near  it,  to  draw  the  blood  to  the  surface, 
the  pain  is  removed,  and  will  not  return  until  the 
blood  gradually  settles  at  the  ailing  spot  again.  If 
a person  is  promptly  bled  in  the  arm,  thus  dimin- 
ishing the  quantity  of  blood  in  every  part  of  the 


CERTAIN  CURE  OF  NEURALGIA. 


169 


system,  relief  is  given  in  proportion  to  the  amount 
of  blood  withdrawn. 

Another  method  of  relief  is  to  employ  purgative 
medicines  to  remove  the  constipation,  or,  if  this 
symptom  is  not  present,  still  the  amount  of  fluids 
in  the  system  is  thereby  diminished.  But  all  these 
are  unnatural  remedies  ; they  shock  the  system,  and 
do  harm  in  other  ways. 

The  great,  the  essential  points  are : 

To  diminish  the  amount  of  blood  in  the  body ; 

To  obtain  a purer  blood ; 

To  secure  a more  equable  circulation. 

The  always  efficient  method  of  diminishing  the 
amount  of  blood  in  the  body  is  to  take  less  food, 
and  thus  cut  off  the  supply  of  blood.  In  order  to 
hasten  this  diminution,  take  exercise,  or  work ; 
these,  as  previously  explained,  occasion  waste  and 
wear  ; the  blood  already  in  the  body  supplies  this, 
and  consequently  the  amount  in  the  body  will  be 
diminished  in  the  natural  way. 

Exercise  and  work  not  only  diminish  the  amount 
of  blood,  but  they  promote  the  circulation,  they 
make  it  equal  throughout  the  whole  body ; and 
when  this  is  the  case,  there  can  be  no  pain.  It  is 
thus  seen  that,  in  the  very  nature  of  things,  the 

CERTAIN  CURE  OF  NEURALGIA 
is  found  in  judicious  eating  and  exercise  ; and  not 
only  so,  a permanent  cure  cannot  be  effected  in 
any  other  way,  while  these  are  always  efficient. 

Some  years  ago  a surgeon  announced  the  instan- 


170 


NEURALGIA. 


taneous  cure  of  tic-douloureux,  the  worst  form  of 
neuralgia,  by  cutting  the  nerve  in  two  ; but  this 
was  only  removing  an  effect ; the  cause  of  bad  blood, 
imperfect  circulation,  still  remained,  and  the  pain 
soon  returned ; hence  the  operation  was  abandoned. 
There  is  no  royal  road  to  the  cure  of  disease  ; 
prince  and  pauper  are  subject  to  the  same  physical 
laws  ; Crcesus  and  king  must  travel  the  same  road 
to  health  with  the  poorest  and  the  most  unknown. 
What  the  physician  said  to  the  sick  tyrant  is  ap- 
plicable to  all  : “ Your  majesty  has  choice  of  four 
methods,  — to  eat  less,  to  take  more  exercise,  to 
swallow  medicine,  or  be  sick.” 

No  man  was  ever  made  to  be  a loafer ; there  was 
beneficence  in  the  curse,  u In  the  sweat  of  thy  face 
shalt  thou  eat  bread  ; ” labor  and  health  are  insep- 
arable, the  world  over.  The  bird  is  ever  on  the 
wing  in  search  of  food,  and  Infinite  Beneficence  has 
made  its  labor  a pleasure  and  a delight ; the  cow 
and  the  horse,  as  they  browse  in  the  fields,  are  mov- 
ing all  day ; the  very  worm  burrows  in  the  earth 
in  search  of  food ; nor  can  man  be  either  healthy  or 
happy  except  in  the  industrious  prosecution  of  men- 
tal labor  or  muscular  activities. 

In  neuralgia  the  blood  is  always  too  thick,  im- 
pure, and  in  excess  ; and  as  diet  and  exercise  com- 
bine to  remedy  these  conditions,  some  rules  in  rela- 
tion to  these  are  desirable.  These  will  be  adapted 
to  sedentary  persons,  to  those  who  live  in-doors 
generally,  as  women,  students,  book-keepers,  and 
the  like. 


CERTAIN  CURE  OF  NEURALGIA. 


171 


It  is  rather  better  to  eat  thrice  a day,  morning, 
noon,  and  night:  that  is,  as  soon  after  sunrise  as 
practicable,  for  breakfast ; dinner  about  one  o’clock  ; 
supper  before  sundown. 

Eat  nothing  whatever  between  meals. 

Breakfast,  a single  cup  of  coffee  or  tea,  some 
cold  bread  and  butter,  with  a dish  of  berries  or 
stewed  fruit  in  summer  time,  and  nothing  else ; in 
winter,  meat,  fish,  or  poultry,  or,  in  their  stead,  a 
couple  of  soft-boiled  eggs. 

Supper  should  be  made  of  cold  bread  and  but- 
ter, and  a cup  of  warm  drink  of  some7  kind,  and 
nothing  else. 

Dinner  the  same  as  breakfast,  adding  one  vege- 
table, and  some  fruit,  raw  or  stewed,  as  a dessert, 
and  nothing  else.  A different  kind  of  vegetable 
may  be  taken  every  day,  for  variety ; the  kind  of 
meat  may  be  changed  at  each  meal. 

The  object  in  the  specification  above  made  is 
to  discourage  variety  at  meals,  because  it  is  this 
which  tempts  all  to  eat  too  much.  Persons  at  times 
have  felt  at  the  table  that  they  had  eaten  enough ; 
but  on  seeing  a very  inviting  dish  unexpectedly 
brought  in,  another  meal  has  been  eaten  of  this  last 
variety.  The  general  and  hurtful  error  is  that  too 
great  a variety  is  spread  on  our  tables,  not  only 
occasioning  trouble  of  preparation  and  great  loss, 
but  also  a positive  injury  in  the  temptation  of  the 
appetite.  The  reader  may  try  it  upon'  himself  on 
any  two  days.  A dinner  of  one  vegetable,  one 
' kind  of  meat  and  bread ; at  dinner  the  next  day, 


172 


NEURALGIA. 


let  a great  variety  be  presented  ; he  will  eat  double 
the  amount  at  this  repast,  with  this  remarkable  dif- 
ference : an  hour  after  the  first  meal,  he  will  be 
entirely  comfortable,  will,  feel  as  if  he  had  eaten 
quite  enough  ; an  hour  after  the  latter,  there  will 
be  decided  discomfort,  a fullness,  a feeling  as  if 
some  kind  of  relief  were  desirable,  and  in  too  many 
cases  a resort  to  the  decanter,  with  the  vain  hope 
of  a riddance  in  some  way.  It  cannot  be  denied 
that  the  first  steps  towards  intemperate  habits  have 
been  taken  in  using  liquors  to  remove  the  unpleas- 
ant consequences  of  over-eating.  A very  great 
aid  towards  overcoming  a habit  of  too  hearty  eating 
will  be  found  in  sitting  down  to  a table  with  only 
three  varieties  of  food. 

Certainly  this  method  of  getting  rid  of  a painful 
disease  is  better  than  using  medicine  for  the  pur- 
pose, even  if  medicine  were  efficient ; but  it  is  not ; 
sometimes  it  has  a beneficial  effect,  but  it  is  never 
permanent,  never  radical,  never  actually  curative. 
But  it  is  so  much  easier  to  take  medicine  than  to 
practice  self-denial  at  the  table,  and,  in  addition,  to 
work  for  health,  that  the  multitude  are  content 
with  alleviants;  are  always  taking  medicine,  are 
always  sick,  are  always  life-long  invalids.  Let  the 
startling  truth  be  deeply  impressed  on  the  mind  of 
the  thinking  and  intelligent  reader,  that  plain  and 
temperate  eating  and  bodily  activities  in  the  glori- 
ous sunshine  will  eradicate  neuralgia. 


CHAPTER  X. 


NERVOUSNESS. 

Nervousness  is  another  name  for  irritability  of 
mind  and  restlessness  of  body ; it  is  the  lenient, 
the  sympathizing  expression  meant  to  convey  the 
idea  of  unreasonableness  ; of  childishness  in  grown 
persons ; in  short,  a weakness  of  intellect.  High- 
bred courtesy  says  of  such  an  one,  “ He  is  very  pe- 
culiar; ” cross  at  one  moment,  crying  the  next ; in 
one  hour  startled  at  every  noise,  at  the  very  next, 
perhaps,  in  profoundest  reverie  ; unreliable  in  state- 
ment, fitful  in  opinion,  inconsistent  in  conduct,  un- 
able to  sleep,  indisposed  to  work  ; now  in  tears, 
then  in  “ tantrums  ; ” exacting,  imagining  impossible 
things,  unaccommodating,  and  a general  disturber 
of  the  household.  No  one  nervous  person  may  ex- 
hibit all  these  characteristics  at  one  time,  but  all 
nervous  persons  have  more  or  less  of  them  in  the 
progress  of  the  malady. 

If  a man  is  tightly  bound,  and  is  gently  scratched 
with  a needle  on  the  same  line,  he  will  soon  be 
ihrown  into  convulsions ; this  is  owing  to  a prop- 
erty in  the  animal  economy  called  “ irritability,’ ' 
and  through  the  nervous  system  it  extends  itself  to 
the  mind ; it  unmans  a man.  It  has  been  stated 
that  men  have  been  exposed  to  have  a single  drop 


174 


NERVOUSNESS. 


of  water  fall  from  a height  upon  the  same  one  spot 
on  the  head  while  so  confined  as  to  make  a change 
in  position,  to  the  fraction  of  a hair,  impossible ; at 
first  the  sensation  is  rather  pleasant,  next  unwel- 
come, disagreeable,  painful,  and  finally  the  victim  is 
left  a hopeless  maniac ; this  is  another  result  of  an 
unnatural,  long-continued  action  on  the  nervous 
system ; it  is  another  form  of  nervousness,  and  is 
incompatible  with  general  good  health. 

A nervous  person  is  a sick  person  ; not  sick  in 
any  particular  part  of  the  body,  but  in  every  hair’s- 
breadth  of  it ; and  it  is  the  result  of  the  action  of  a 
kind  of  blood  upon  the  nerves,  unfit  for  healthful 
use.  Good,  pure  blood  is  grateful  to  whatever 
portion  of  the  body  it  is  sent,  whether  to  head  or 
heart,  tooth  or  toe,  foot  or  finger.  If  it  is  bad 
from  anjr  cause,  too  thin,  poor  or  poisonous,  it  is 
not  the  natural  food  of  the  nerves,  and  causes  dis- 
comfort wherever  it  is  carried  ; this  discomfort  is 
“ nervousness.”  Anatomists  have  announced  sev- 
eral practical  facts  which  are  easily  demonstrated  : 
stick  the  point  of  a needle  into  any  portion  of  a 
man’s  skin,  and  there  is  pain  and  blood  ; showing 
that  there  is  no  point  in  the  human  body  where  the 
faithful  heart  does  not  send  its  supply  of  life,  for 
the  blood  is  the  life  of  a man  ; showing  also,  with 
great  conclusiveness,  that  nerves  are  equally  omni- 
present. The  nerves  feed  upon  the  blood  ; and, 
side  by  side,  nerve  and  blood-vessel  go  to  every 
pin-point  of  the  human  body.  If  these  nerves  feed 


“ NERVOUSNESS.”  175 

on  natural,  healthful  blood,  there  is  well  feeling 
throughout  the  entire  frame  of  man  ; if  the  blood 
is  poor,  it  causes  an  unnatural  impression  on  every 
nerve,  and  these  being  multiplied  into  millions  of 
filaments,  each  conveying  to  the  brain  its  distinct 
complaint,  no  wonder  there  is  irritation;  confusion, 
and  universal  disorder  of  mind  and  discomfort  of 
body. 

THIS  IS  46  NERVOUSNESS  ; ” 
and  if  poor  blood,  imperfect  blood,  thin  blood, 
poisonous  blood,  or  by  whatever  other  name  it  may 
be  called,  causes  this  disturbance,  the  obvious  rem- 
edy is  to  make  better,  purer,  richer,  more  natural 
and  healthful  blood.  To  do  this,  two  processes  are 
necessary : — 

First,  rid  the  system  of  its  poor  blood. 

Second,  supply  to  it  a richer,  purer,  better  ma- 
terial. 

Divine  Intelligence  has  so  constructed  us  that 
every  separate  motion  of  every  individual  muscle 
in  the  whole  human  machine  tends  to  work  out  of 
it  whatever  is  foreign  to  itself,  whatever  is  not  a 
living  part  of  its  living  mechanism.  Whatever 
cannot  be  healthfully  used  by  the  body,  is  consid- 
ered a foreign  body.  Swallow  a pebble,  or  fruit 
stone,  or  penny,  and  in  less  than  forty-eight  hours 
it  is  hustled  out  of  the  living  machine,  as  an  im- 
pertinent individual  is  hustled  out  of  a public  as- 
sembly into  the  street,  each  member  giving  him  a 
contemptuous  kick  in  his  44  outward  bound.”  Stick 
a needle  beyond  the  head  into  foot,  or  leg,  or  arm, 


176 


NERVOUSNESS. 


and  in  one  year  or  ten,  it  makes  its  appearance  at 
the  surface,  a foot  or  yard  away. 

So  when  unnatural  blood  is  found  in  the  body, 
the  instincts  of  the  system  are  to  work  it  off  and 
out ; and  to  this  end  every  motion  of  every  muscle 
directly  contributes,  and  so  persistently  that  death 
alone  can  put  a stop  to  the  effort.  What,  then, 
we  are  called  upon  to  do  in  getting  rid  of  the  bad 
blood  in  the  body,  or  “ nervousness,”  is  to 

HELP  NATURE. 

It  was  just  said,  that  every  motion  of  every  mus- 
cle aided  in  working  the  bad  blood  out  of  the 
body ; our  wisdom,  then,  is  to  increase  that  mus- 
cular motion,  by  walking  one  or  ten  miles  a day, 
according  to  the  necessities  of  the  case,  or,  which 
is  better  than  a daily  walk,  work  in  the  health- 
giving  sunshine  to  the  same  extent,  and  keep  at  it, 
until  the  wretched,  mischief-making  enemy  is  ex- 
pelled from  the  house  lately  so  miserable,  but  to  be 
now  full  of  health,  and  geniality,  and  sunshine,  to 
life’s  happy  evening. 

But  to  facilitate  this  thrice  welcome  result,  the 
other  half  of  the  remedy  must  be  applied  ; and  so 
benevolently  are  we  made,  and  so  economical  wTas 
the  great  Architect  in  arranging  His  forces,  that  in 
this,  as  in  many  other  beautiful  instances  in  connec- 
tion with  the  physiology  of  man,  what  accomplishes 
one  object  is  made  to  pave  the  way,  or  is  prepar- 
atory towards  bringing  about  another  not  less  im- 
portant and  equally  essential  object.  If  we  get 


OUT-DOOR  ACTIVITIES. 


177 


rid  of  bad  blood,  we  must  supply  its  place,  and 
with  a good  material.  In  the  article  on  dyspepsia, 
it  was  shown  that  to  procure  a more  vigorous  and 
healthful  digestion  as  a means  of  making  a pure, 
strengthening  blood,  it  was  an  indispensable  requi- 
site that  exertive  exercise  should  be  taken,  the 
best  form  of  which  was  out-door  activities.  It  is 
thus  seen  that  nature  has  so  arranged  it  that  the 
very  efforts  which  effect  the  removal  of  bad  blood 
and  other  foreign  materials  from  the  body,  do  at 
the  same  time  pave  the  way  for  introducing  a bet- 
ter supply  in  its  stead  ; giving  us  an  idea  of  econ- 
omy of  means  and  expenditure,  which  it  would  be 
well  to  study  in  all  the  enterprises  of  human  life  ; 
in  plain  terms,  work  pushes  bad  blood  out  of  the 
body,  and  prepares  a pure  material  in  its  place,  by 
inducing  hunger  and  a healthful  digestion  ; so  that 
every  stroke  made  in  work,  every  step  taken  in 
exercise,  especially  if  out-of-doors,  and  in  the  pur- 
suit of  some  engaging  or  profitable  object,  tends 
to  cleanse  the  system  first,  then  repair,  then  build 
up,  thus  curing  disease  and  establishing  health  on  a 
permanent,  safe,  and  enduring  basis  ; and  happy  is 
he  who  has  clearness  of  perception  to  see  the  force 
of  the  reasoning,  and  who  has  the  firmness  of  pur- 
pose and  persistence  of  determination  to  follow  up 
a steady  and  systematic  course  of  judicious  exer- 
cise and  plain  and  temperate  living,  in  the  light  of 
the  suggestions  just  made,  until  triumphantly  rid 
*>>f  that  most  fretting  and  belittling  of  all  human 
ailments,  “nervousness.”  Small  progress  may  be 


178 


NERVOUSNESS. 


made  at  first ; but  it  will  seldom  happen  that  if  the 
principles  of  treatment  are  carried  out  with  reason- 
able fidelity  and  judgment,  the  changes  observed 
in  the  system  will  not  be  sufficiently  evident  within 
a very  few  weeks,  or  even  days  sometimes,  as  to 
demonstrate  a successful  result  at  no  distant  day. 
There  may  be  occasional  arrests  of  improvement, 
and  even  “ backsets  ; ” but  these  should  inspire  hope 
and  renewed  determination  to  conquer  ; for  it  is 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  means  which  are 
able  to  inaugurate  an  improvement  in  a short  time, 
will  perfect  a cure,  if  persisted  in. 

Sometimes  persons  are  made  nervous  whenever 
they  take  a cold  : this  is  because  the  nervous  sys- 
tem has  been  previously  debilitated,  has  become 
the  weak  part  of  the  body ; but  this  is  in  accordance 
with  the  laws  of  the  system.  When  an  enemy 
attacks  a fortress,  the  weakest  portion  is  assailed  ; 
a common  cold  is  the  body’s  great  enemy,  and  it 
seeks  to  do  mischief  through  those  portions  of  it 
which  are  found,  from  any  cause,  to  have  been 
weakened.  Persons  whose  voice  organs  have  been 
debilitated  by  over-exercise  in  conversation,  sing- 
ing, or  public  speaking,  are  made  hoarse  as  soon  as 
they  take  cold,  because  the  cold  is  said  to  “ settle  ” 
there  ; in  the  same  manner,  if  a man  is  “ weak- 
chested,” has  weak  lungs,  he  will  have  a bad  cough 
if  he  takes  cold.  Others  again,  on  taking  cold,  will 
express  themselves  as  having  got  rid  of  it  by  pass- 
ing it  off  through  the  bowels ; that  is,  the  bowels 
were  weak,  and  diarrhoea  was  the  result  of  the 


ILL  NATURE. 


179 


cold  falling  on  them.  An  estimable  lady  of  close 
and  correct  observation  says  she  never  takes  cold. 
It  is  true  that  she  never  has  a cough  or  sore  throat ; 
yet  she  has  frequent  and  distressing  attacks  of  bil- 
iousness ; these  are  often  brought  on  by  a cold  ; 
she  has  a feeble  circulation,  is  very  sensitive  to 
draughts  of  air,  is  easily  chilled,  loves  warm  rooms, 
warm  clothing,  and  warm  weather ; and  taking  but 
little  exercise,  and  that  infrequently,  a very  little 
thing  gives  her  a cold,  which  closes  the  pores  of  the 
skin,  and  through  it  affects  the  liver;  hence  an 
attack  of  biliousness  is  a sure  result ; her  colds  set- 
tle on  the  skin. 

There  are  other  symptoms  of  nervousness  than 
those  already  detailed  ; it  would  be  impracticable  to 
name  all.  It  was  only  intended  to  mention  the  more 
common  ; to  impress  on  the  mind  the  one  great  prac- 
tical idea,  that  the  nervousness  which  results  from 
eating  too  much,  and  exercising  too  little,  is  caused 
by  an  impure,  an  imperfect  blood,  and  that  the  more 
prominent  symptom,  indicating  that  species  of  nerv- 
ousness, was  in  the  individual  succeeding  perfectly 
% in  making  himself  as  uncomfortable  as  possible  to 
the  unfortunate  ones  who  happen  to  come  within 
the  sphere  of 'his  malign  influence.  And  when  it 
is  remembered  that  this  most  ungracious  malady 
arises  from  the  degrading  sins  of  gluttony  and  lazi- 
ness, and  that  a cure  is  found  in  a temperate  and 
industrious  life,  a continuance  of  the  misfortune  is 
discreditable  alike  to  mind  arid  heart. 

This  disease  is  sometimes  induced  by  a protracted 


180 


NERVOUSNESS. 


series  of  unavoidable  misfortunes  resulting  from  the 
ill  conduct  of  others  or  a succession  of  deaths  of 
loved  ones ; these  so  acting  upon  delicate  organiza- 
tions, or  on  highly  strung  temperaments,  and  where 
there  are  large  brains,  do  certainly  induce  a spe- 
cies of  nervousness  allied  to  madness  in  some  in- 
stances ; in  others  there  is  an  approach  to  St. 
Vitus’  dance,  where  the  nervous  energy  is  so  fit- 
ful, so  uncontrollable,  that  the  limbs  fly  in  any 
direction,  as  if  subject  to  electrical  influences  ; at 
other  times  the  head  will  jerk  or  fall  back  ; there 
will  be  a regular  thumping  or  beating  in  various 
parts  of  the  body,  — at  one  time  in  the  head,  another 
in  the  limbs,  or  sensations  as  if  a cannon-ball  had 
passed  through  the  brain  ; often  quietude  of  the 
muscles  is  an  impossibility,  motion  is  a necessity  ; 
but  even  for  these  severer  forms,  which  command 
our  warmest  sympathies,  there  is  a uniform  cure, 
in  regular  and  temperate  eating  of  plain  food,  and 
an  imperative  and  engrossing  out-door  occupation ; 
if  these  things  are  judiciously  combined,  no  mortal 
man  has  any  ground  for  fearing  that  he  may  not 
be  restored  to  permanent  good  health  in  an  en- 
couragingly short  time,  because  there  is  no  organic 
disease  ; it  is  only  functional.  Given  a diet  of  bread, 
and  meat,  and  cold  water,  a man  at  the  plough,  and 
the  woman  at  the  wash-tub,  compulsorily,  with  an 
encouraging  remuneration,  — a cure  will  be  an 
every-day  event — a cure  without  a drawback,  and 
which  will  last  for  life. 

Mrs.  M.,  the  wife  of  a gentleman  of  great  wealth, 


THE  TERRIBLE  SEA  VOYAGE. 


181 


fell  into  a nervous  condition  from  having  nothing  to 
do.  A family  had  been  cared  for,  and  grown  up, 
and  settled  well  in  life  ; there  was  no  object  of 
ambition  before  her  upon  which  her  mental  or 
physical  energies  could  act,  at  least  none  for  which 
she  had  a liking.  u The  poor  ye  have  with  you  al- 
ways,” said  the  Master ; and  upon  these  she  might 
have  humanely  spent  herself,  going  about  doing 
good,  and  thus  have  laid  up  for  herself  treasures 
in  heaven  which  could  not  fail  her,  and  the  treas- 
ure upon  earth  of  a healthful  old  age.  But  she  pre- 
ferred to  take  her  ease,  to  eat,  and  drink,  and  sleep  ; 
her  whole  life  was  one  of  inglorious  inactivity,  and 
the  human  machine  became  clogged  up ; its  im- 
purities were  not  worked  off ; the  blood  became 
bad,  and  thick,  and  stagnant ; the  nerves,  having 
no  pure  blood  to  feed  upon,  became  deranged  in 
their  action  ; the  strength  declined,  morbid  feel- 
ings took  possession  of  brain  and  body,  and  she 
became  bed -ridden,  seldom  leaving  her  couch  for 
many  weeks  in  succession  ; so  weak  at  times  that 
it  was  an  effort  to  walk  across  the  floor  or  even 
sit  up  for  a few  moments.  Medicines  availed 
nothing.  At  this  stage,  the  intelligent  physician 
advised  what  seemed  a desperate  remedy,  inasmuch 
as  it  was  apparently  impossible  to  carry  it  out  — 
simply  a sea  voyage  in  a sailing  vessel,  of  uncertain 
continuance,  but  probably  of  two  months’  duration. 
The  suggestion  was  acted  upon.  Everything 
was  new  to  her  on  shipboard,  and  supremely  un- 
comfortable by  reason  of  sea-sickness,  and  stormy 


182 


NERVOUSNESS. 


weather,  and  dangerous  navigation,  and  bilge-water 
smell,  and  sleeping  on  shelves  ; eating  ship-biscuit 
and  pilot-bread  almost  as  hard  as  a stone,  with  old 
butter  and  half-spoiled  meats ; even  the  wrater,  bad 
enough,  was  scant  in  supply  ; these  things  were  sim- 
ply terrible  to  a woman  who  had  always  enjoyed 
every  comfort  at  home  which  money  could  procure. 
She  thought  at  times  that  she  would  die,  unless 
means  were  used  to  mitigate  the  calamities  which 
seemed  to  have  accumulated  about  her  so  unmerci- 
fully. Under  these  circumstances,  she  began  to  de- 
vise, and  arrange,  and  modify,  and  alter  so  as  if 
possible  to  make  things  at  least  endurable.  This 
required  mental  effort  and  physical  exertion  as  a 
necessity  ; variable  weather  caused  variable  efforts  ; 
and  then  there  were  the  daily  calculations,  if  per- 
chance a spare  hour  occurred  to  give  the  mind  a 
little  rest,  as  to  when  these  miseries  were  to  end  ; 
calm  to-day,  fogs  to-morrow,  head-winds  and  cross 
seas  ; long  days  of  steady  falling  rain,  to  compel 
refuge  in  the  noisome  cabin  below  decks ; then 
the  matter  of  course,  cold,  chilly  winds  which  come 
after  rain  at  sea.  These  things  together  became 
a new  world  of  thought  and  action.  When  land 
was  made,  she  was  apparently  a well  woman. 
The  elements  of  cure  in  this  case  were  small  eat- 
ing, bodily  exertion,  and  compulsory  mental  activity 
in  a channel  wholly  different  from  all  previous  ex- 
periences. The  points  to  be  noted  with  exceed- 
ing interest,  in  this  narration,  by  every  invalid  are 
as  follows : — 


NERVOUS  DEBILITY. 


188 


It  was  a cure  of  nervousness  of  several  years5 
duration. 

It  had  progressed  to  the  extent  of  confinement 
to  the  house,  and  chamber  and  bed  for  a long  time. 

The  patient  was  already  an  old  woman,  giving 
ground  to  suppose  that  the  powers  of  recuperation 
were  lost. 

No  medicine  was  used. 

The  rough  sea  took  away  her  appetite. 

The  food  was  so  bad  that  she  could  not  eat  it,  had 
she  been  ever  so  hungry,  except  in  homoeopathic 
quantities.  * 

Physical  effort  became  a necessity. 

Mental  activity  of  an  absorbing  character  was 
unavoidable. 

With  such  a fact  as  this,  surely  no  person  need 
be  entirely  hopeless  of  a permanent  restoration 
from  any  nervous  disease  of  a functional  character, 
whether  it  be 

NERVOUS  DEBILITY 

or  of  excessive  nervous  action,  including  the  lesser 
forms  or  classes  of  insanity,  monomania,  “ hypo,” 
hysterics,  melancholy,  or  megrims.  One  of  the 
items  above  named  as  a means  of  cure  is  so  con- 
trary to  all  human  reason  that  it  is  well  worth  spe- 
cial consideration ; still  it  is  at  the  very  foundation 
of  every  case  of  cure,  and  is  contrary  to  the  judg- 
ment of  almost  all  persons.  She  ate  little  or  noth- 
ing, for  the  sea  took  away  her  appetite,  and  the  food 
was  so  wretched  that  she  could  take  but  very  little 


184 


NERVOUSNESS. 


at  a time  under  the  most  favorable  circumstances ; 
and  just  here  is  the  rock  on  which  most  invalids 
split  in  connection  with  eating  and  sickness;  they 
will  insist  upon  it  that  they  must  eat  something  to 
keep  up  their  strength,  and  that  too,  whether  they 
have  an  appetite  or  not ; and  for  the  sake  of  getting 
an  appetite,  they  resort  either  to  tonics,  in  the  form 
of  “ bitters,”  or  alcoholic  preparations,  or  the  pres- 
entation of  the  most  delicate  and  inviting  articles 
of  food  as  a means  of  tempting  the  appetite,  with 
the  unvarying  result  of  keeping  up  an  invalid 
condition  for  weeks,  for  months,  for  years,  and  alas 
in  too  many  cases  for  a life-time ! 

Facts  must  be  looked  at  as  they  are.  This  delicate 
woman — delicate  by  reason  of  her  age,  habits  of  life, 
and  long  years  of  illness  — gradually  grew  strong 
and  well  by  eating  very  small  amounts  of  very  un- 
inviting food,  simply  because  a weak  stomach  will 
get  nourishment  out  of  that  small  amount,  when  it 
could  not  get  it  out  of  a larger.  It  has  power  to 
“ work  up  ” an  ounce  of  food  ; it  has  not  power  to 
work  up  a pound.  There  is  perhaps  no  single  fact 
of  as  much  importance  as  this  in  connection  with 
the  subject  of  eating  and  recovery  from  disease 
Another  important  item  is  the  agency  of  the  mind 
in  restoring  the  body  to  health,  especially  in  al) 
nervous  affections.  Something  must  be  done  in 
every  case  to  compel  the  mind  out  of  its  usual 
ruts  of  travel,  either  by  fear  of  life,  as  in  the  case 
named,  by  anxiety  for  the  well  being  of  loved  ones, 
by  the  excitements  of  travel  and  discovery,  or  by 
encouraging  prospects  of  pecuniary  gain. 


A BALKY  HORSE. 


185 


Even  in  severe  acute  or  transient  maladies,  dis- 
eased conditions  or  actions  are  corrected  in  an  in- 
stant’s time  by  the  agency  of  the  mind  alone,  when 
otherwise  the  most  powerful  drugs  would  be  neces- 
sary in  large  quantities,  and  they  would  be  slow  in 
action.  If  a woman  is  in  a violent  fit  of  “ hysterics,” 
she  will  be  instantly  “ brought  to  ” if  she  learns 
that  the  house  is  on  fire,  or  if  you  spank  her  with 
your  slipper,  or  put  your  foot  in  her  face,  or  per- 
form any  other  act  calculated  to  put  an  indignity 
upon  her ; for  her  resentment  is  awakened,  and  the 
mind  is  forced  to  act  through  another  channel  than 
the  one  which  induced  the  hysterical  condition. 
Something  of  this  sort  is  illustrated  amusingly  in 
the  animal  creation,  especially  in  the  case  of  the 
noble  horse,  when  he  becomes  “balky.”  It  was 
considered  a wonderful  feat  of  superior  knowledge 
by  a gaping  crowd  when  the  owner  of  a vehicle  had 
tried  all  possible  means  to  make  his  horse  start  off 
with  his  load  to  no  effect,  when  a countryman 
stepped  up,  took  a string  from  his  pocket,  and  tied 
it  tightly  around  the  animal’s  ear,  then  speaking  to 
him  in  a brisk  tone  of  voice,  the  conquered  crea- 
ture moved  right  on.  When  it  is  remembered  that 
if  a handful  of  mud  is  rubbed  on  the  animal’s  nose, 
the  same  result  is  often  reached,  we  find  a ready 
solution  of  the  efficiency  of  such  diverse  modes  of 
treatment  in  the  fact  that  both  operations  have 
one  and  the  same  effect : they  divert  the  animal’s 
mind.  Therefore  the  conclusion  is  inevitable  that 
an  essential  element  in  the  treatment  and  cure 


m 


NERVOUSNESS. 


of  diseases,  especially  those  of  a nervous  charac- 
ter, is 

MENTAL  DIVERSION. 

A lady,  from  causes  kept  in  successive  action  for 
a number  of  years,  had  fallen  into  such  a state  of 
nervous  prostration  that  the  stomach  was  unable  to 
perform  its  functions  ; all  kinds  of  food  failed  to  be 
digested,  and  generated  large  quantities  of  wind ; 
the  debility  became  so  great  that  she  kept  her  bed 
for  a great  part  of  the  time,  her  head,  from  the 
great  debility  of  the  system,  whirling  around  in 
dizziness  and  confusion  the  very  moment  it  was 
raised  from  the  pillow,  and  she  would  have  to  hold 
on  to  the  bed  in  rising,  to  prevent  her  falling  on  the 
floor ; medicine  seemed  to  be  unavailing.  She  was 
ordered  to  ride  on  horseback.  As  a riding-school 
was  most  available,  being  under  shelter,  so  as  to 
allow  regularity,  she  was  conveyed  to  the  place,  and 
rode  around  the  course  five  minutes.  The  pros- 
tration was  such  that  she  could  not  sleep  the  night 
following,  except  in  uneasy  snatches  ; but  by  resting 
in  bed  the  succeeding  day,  and  sleeping  better  the 
second  night,  she  was  able  to  repeat  her  rides  every 
other  day,  with  very  slow  improvement  at  first ; but 
having  an  indomitable  resolution,  and  being  pos- 
sessed of  a high  moral  courage  and  force  of  char- 
acter, she  found  herself  at  the  end  of  six  months 
the  best  rider  in  the  school ; riding  became  a 
pleasure,  and  she  could  race  her  courser  for  an 
hour  at  a time,  and  felt  all  the  better  for  it.  Mean- 


TAKING  A WALK. 


187 


while  her  digestion  steadily  improved,  her  strength, 
weight,  and  flesh  increased  ; and  although  many 
years  have  passed,  she  has  better  health  than  the 
average  of  women  of  her  age,  can  travel  eighteen 
hours  out  of  the  twenty-four  in  stages,  steamboats, 
and  rail-cars,  eating  what  she  can  get,  and  whether 
sleeping  on  a shelf,  in  a cot,  lying  down,  or  sitting 
up,  her  health,  and  appetite,  and  digestion,  and 
strength  are  all  improved  by  it. 

In  this  case,  the  entire  nervous  system  had  re- 
ceived such  a shock,  that  it  is  fair  to  infer  that 
some  organic  injury  had  been  the  result ; at  all 
events,  she  was  liable  at  times  to  attacks  of  indiges- 
tion, the  certain  and  effectual  remedy  for  which  is 
exercise  on  foot,  out-of-doors,  and  the  eating  of 
good  substantial  food,  well  prepared,  meats  gen- 
erally underdone,  broiled  or  roasted,  vegetables 
well  cooked,  and  home-made  bread.  The  advan- 
tages of  out-door  walks  are  so  uniform,  so  direct  in 
their  good  effects,  that  they  are  resorted  to  by  her 
with  the  utmost  confidence,  and  are  kept  up,  no 
kind  of  weather  being  allowed  to  interfere  with  the 
daily  out-door  walking. 

In  cases  of  this  kind  as  to  the  majority  of  per- 
sons, especially  those  living  in  large  cities,  there  is 
such  a want  of  energy,  such  an  indisposition  to 
arouse  themselves  to  the  absolute  necessities  of  the 
occasion,  such  a want  of  hopefulness,  that,  although 
reason  is  convinced,  there  seems  to  be  a physical 
inability,  as  well  as  mental,  to  cooperate  with  the 
physician ; the  slightest  obstacles  are  magnified  to 


188 


NERVOUSNESS. 


mountainous  proportions,  so  that,  in  order  to  make 
a beginning,  the  medical  adviser  feels  obliged  to  in- 
sist upon  an  instantaneous  seat  in  his  own  carriage 
to  be  conveyed  to  the  Riding  Academy,  and,  even 
when  there,  to  see  that  the  unwilling  patient  is  actu- 
ally placed  on  a horse,  before  he  leaves  the  spot ; 
such  children  does  disease  sometimes  make  of 
persons  in  mature  life,  and  of  high  cultivation  and 
intelligence. 

A REMEDY  IN  NERVOUSNESS. 

There  is  a mental  as  well  as  a physical  nerv- 
ousness ; both  may  be  caused  by  an  excess  of  blood 
in  the  body,  as  readily  as  by  a bad  blood.  If  the 
blood  be  in  excess  and  pure,  too  much  nervous 
energy  is  generated ; if  it  be  bad  blood,  then  the 
nervous  energy  generated  is  unhealthful ; and  acts 
upon  mind  and  body  unheal thfully,  but  in  either 
case,  this  nervous  energy  must  be  worked  off,  as 
surplus  steam  is  worked  off  in  an  engine.  All 
are  familiar  with  the  fact  that  when  a locomotive 
is  stopped,  or  a steamer  is  made  to  go  slower,  the 
steam  is  let  off  from  the  boiler ; otherwise  there 
would  be  an  explosion.  So  in  the  human  body,  the 
nervous  energy,  the  spiritual  steam  is  unconfinable  ; 
it  must  have  exit,  it  must  have  an  outgo,  either  upon 
thin  air,  or  upon  some  palpable  object ; and  as  it  is 
easier  to  expend  the  strength  of  the  arms  in  work 
than  in  “ beating  the  air,”  so  it  is  easier,  and  better, 
and  more  healthful  to  have  the  nervous  energy  ex- 
pended upon  an  object  than  in  allowing  the  mind  to 


SUNDAY  IMAGININGS. 


189 


work  upon  itself,  to  be  simply  thinking,  without  cor- 
responding action  ; as  almost  every  reader  has  ex- 
perienced when  waking  up  in  the  night,  he  begins  to 
think  upon  some  matter  that  presses  on  the  mind 
unpleasantly,  but,  not  being  able  to  act  out  his 
thoughts,  the  more  he  thinks,  the  more  excited  he 
becomes  ; the  mind  is,  in  a sense,  feeding  on  itself, 
and  in  process  of  being  consumed  by  its  own  fires ; 
wdien  this  is  indulged  in,  the  man  sometimes  works 
himself  almost  into  a frenzy,  everything  is  exag- 
gerated into  monstrous  proportions,  and  the  poor 
unfortunate  can  scarcely  keep  his  bed ; at  long 
length,  however,  he  sinks  into  an  uneasy  slumber 
from  sheer  exhaustion,  and  when  he  wakes  up  in 
the  morning,  he  feels  surprised  and  sometimes  really 
ashamed  to  think  that  he  should  have  allowed  such 
comparatively  trivial  things  to  work  him  up  to  such 
a pitch.  Many  a domestic  triviality  is  thus  handled, 
inflicting  every  day  an  incalculable  amount  of  sor- 
row on  even  loving  hearts. 

SUNDAY  IMAGININGS. 

Observant  physicians  have  frequently  noticed 
that  their  out-door  patients  call  earlier  on  Mondays 
than  on  any  other  day  of  the  week,  and  are  more 
likely  to  exaggerate  their  symptoms,  having  no  real 
foundation  ; it  is  because  of  the  forced  inactivity  of 
the  Sabbath,  especially  if  a rainy  day  ; the  mind 
became  chafed  by  inactivity,  by  the  vain  beating  of 
air,  in  running  around  the  circle  of  some  uneasy 
train  of  thought ; fretting,  and  worrying,  and  tor- 


190 


NERVOUSNESS. 


turing  itself,  in  its  vain  imaginings.  These  facts, 
the  truth  of  which  the  reflective  reader  must  be 
conscious  of,  suggest  the  remedy  for  a large  class 
of 

NERVOUS  DISEASES. 

But  the  remedy  must  be  applied  with  a wise  dis- 
crimination. If  the  ailment  be  a physical  nervous- 
ness, indicated  by  muscular  restlessness,  by  the 
person  not  being  able  to  remain  in  any  one  posi- 
tion long,  the  true  cure,  the  most  expeditious,  is 
work,  steady  work,  hour  after  hour;  if  there  is  no 
work  to  be  done,  then  take  more  exercise,  as  the 
next  best  thing,  and  let  it  be  kept  up  until  there  is 
a decided  feeling  that  sitting  down  would  be  a lux- 
ury. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  this 

PHYSICAL  NERVOUSNESS 

becomes  so  aggravated,  the  quantity  of  nervous 
power  is  so  great,  that  it  is  uncontrollable,  chronic- 
ally so,  as  in  St.  Vitus5  dance ; and  there  is  reason 
to  believe  that  hysteria,  commonly  known  as 

“ HYSTERICS,” 

may  be  more  properly  classed  among  the  physically 
nervous  cases,  combined  to  some  extent,  however, 
with  the  mental  condition.  But  all  that  is  needed 
in  many  cases  of  hysteria  is  to  divert  the  mind,  and 
put  the  body  to  work  ; this  is  nature’s  cure,  always 
available  and  always  efficient. 

If  the  nervousness  is  mental,  arising  from  a tern- 


GO  ABOUT  DOING  GOOD. 


191 


porary  ill  condition  of  the  brain,  however  caused,  the 
remedy  is  one  — mental  diversion  ; and  this  is  best 
accomplished,  not  by  reading,  nor  conversation,  nor 
any  in-door  recreation  or  amusement,  but  by  going 
out-of-doors  to  work,  walk,  or  ride.  Sometimes  it 
is  wise  to 


GO  ABOUT  DOING  GOOD, 

which  has  been  frequently  advised,  and  considered 
admirable  advice  too,  as  full  of  “ mother  wit,”  in- 
dicating; a true  knowledge  of  human  nature.  “ If 
you  are  at  all  unhappy  or  restless  in  the  house, 
without  there  being  any  special  cause,  the  best  way 
is  to  go  out  and  help  somebody.”  That  is  well 
sometimes,  but  only  an  experienced  physician  knows 
how  to  discriminate  as  to  the  remedies  to  be  advan- 
tageously employed  in  these  complicated  nervous 
complaints ; for  occasionally  the  physical  and  the 
mental  are  so  conjoined,  that  while  it  is  safe  enough, 
as  far  as  the  body  is  concerned,  to  advise  the  patient 
to  work  or  exercise  in  the  open  air,  the  mental  state 
is  such  that  its  requirements  must  be  delicately  met. 
It  is  a diversion  to  a lady,  for  example,  to  go  a 
shopping.  In  ordinary  circumstances  this  would 
be  an  agreeable  diversion ; but  it  would  be  grossly 
out  of  place  if  the  person  be  mourning  the  death  of 
the  loved  and  lost.  At  times,  the  mind  of  the  pa- 
tient is  in  a sense  “ shattered ; ” it  has  worked  itself 
out  by  balancing  probabilities,  by  choosing  between 
the  horns  of  some  unfortunate  dilemma,  by  being 
placed  in  a state  of  “ betweenity,”  as  it  is  expressed 


192 


NERVOUSNESS. 


sometimes.  To  go  a shopping  under  such  circum- 
stances would  be  peculiarly  inappropriate,  because 
that  is  a most  absorbing  occupation,  one  which 
greatly  debilitates,  as  every  lady  knows  ; for  there 
is  many  times  a balancing  of  considerations,  which 
is  very  perplexing : can  I afford  this  higher  priced 
material  ? would  not  the  other  wear  better  ? is  not 
this  color  “ faster  ” than  the  other  ? this  might  look 
new  longest ; one  article  is  very  pretty,  but  is  it 
not  too  late,  or  too  early,  in  the  season  ? in  truth, 
the  considerations  are  numberless  which  are  to  be 
taken  into  account  in  a single  half-hour’s  shopping ; 
hence,  to  advise  such  a diversion  when  the  mind 
has  been  brought  already  into  a nervous  condition 
by  balancing,  by  endeavoring  to  choose  between  this 
and  that,  would  be  notably  inappropriate.  So  also, 
if  a person  has  become  nervous  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  suffering  and  sickness  in  loved  ones  at  home, 
it  certainly  would  be  out  of  place  to  be  told  to  go 
about  doing  good  to  the  sick  and  suffering  in  the 
cabins  of  the  poor.  Hence  discretion  must  be  ob- 
served in  prescribing  the  recreations  of  the  nervous  ; 
they  must  be  such  as  will  bring  into  requisition  the 
organs,  or  propensities,  or  affections  which  have  not 
been  exercised,  which  have  been  held  in  abeyance, 
just  precisely  as  in  the  physical  system  ; if  a man  is 
worn  out  by  sawing  wood,  he  must  be  rested,  recre- 
ated by  some  employment  which  brings  a different 
set  of  muscles  into  requisition,  while  those  employed 
by  the  sawing  operation  should,  for  the  most  part, 
remain  quiescent.  On  this  principle  it  becomes 


JUDICIOUS  EXERCISE. 


193 


very  important  in  some  delicate  cases  to  advise  the 
nervous  to  take  exercise  in  the  open  air,  but  to  go 
nowhere  ; better  to  walk  or  drive  to  a post,  and  then 
turn  back  and  drive  home,  or  at  least  avoid  having 
any  object  in  connection  with  the  exercise  which 
would  require  any  special  mental  effort ; it  might  be 
proper  under  such  circumstances  to  visit  some  near 
relative  ; when  it  would  be  very  much  out  of  place 
to  make  a formal  call,  where  etiquette  would  be 
exacted  ; for  a certain  degree  of  mental  effort  is  re- 
quired in  such  cases  ; certain  proprieties  are  to  be 
observed,  which  proprieties  are  to  be  determined 
by  conditions  as  varied  as  those  of  the  ever-turning 
kaleidoscope, — conditions  in  some  cases  which  never 
happened  before,  may  never  happen  again  ; and  to 
determine  how  to  act  in  these  with  the  necessary 
promptitude,  requires  a surprising  amount  of  mental 
tact  and  mental  agility.  For  example,  in  the  days  of 
the  French  Revolution,  a company  of  gentlemen  and 
ladies  were  marching  to  the  guillotine  ; one  of  the 
gentlemen  was  in  the  line  before  a lady,  — Madame 
Roland  or  some  other  martyr  to  Liberty,  — and  it 
being  an  inexcusable  violation  of  the  proprieties  of 
civilization  for  a gentleman  to  precede  a lady,  this 
accomplished  courtier  did  all  that  was  possible  under 
the  circumstances  ; turning  half  round,  and,  bowing 
to  the  lady  with  exquisite  grace,  he  said,  “ Excuse 
me,  Madame , for  having  my  head  cut  off  be- 

fore yours.”  And  who  can  help  a feeling  of  pity  as 
well  as  admiration  of  the  ruling  passion  strong  in 
death,  when  royalty  entering  the  bed-chamber  of 


13 


194 


WASHINGTON  S LAST  WISH. 


Lord  Chesterfield,  who,  conscious  of  the  contor- 
tions of  the  last  moment,  said  to  his  superior,  “ Ex- 
cuse the  grimace  ! ” These  things  are  narrated 
to  suggest  a valuable  practical  principle  to  a cer- 
tain class  of  nervous  persons,  under  certain  mental 
conditions  ; that  in  these  conditions  mental  exer- 
cise, mental  diversion,  is  most  appropriate,  wherein 
the  person  shall  be  placed  in  no  new  situation,  — 
no  situation  which  requires  the  least  mental  effort 
to  know  how  or  what  to  decide  upon ; for  there 
are  times,  with  the  healthiest  of  us,  when  the  mind 
is  so  indisposed  to  action  that  a thought  is  a labor, 
a word  an  effort ; too  weary  to  think,  too  weary  to 
speak,  because  to  answer  a question  requires  a men- 
tal effort.  What  immeasurable  cruelties  are  often 
inflicted  upon  loved  ones  while  dying,  in  the  form 
of  questions,  which  in  that  state  of  exaggerated 
conscientiousness  which  dissolving  nature  feels  on 
the  instant  of  its  appearing  before  that  August 
One  whose  essence  is  “ Truth,”  may  seem  to  the 
well  the  easiest  thing  in  the  world  to  answer,  but 
really  to  the  sufferer  require  the  weightiest  delibera- 
tion ! 

“ LET  ME  DIE  IN  PEACE  ” 

were  among  the  very  last  words  of  the  great  Wash- 
ington, when  plied  with  questions  and  remarks  to 
within  two  minutes  of  his  ceasing  to  breathe.  Per- 
sons who  are  subject  to  very  severe  attacks  of  asth- 
ma know  very  well  that  they  at  times  feel  that 
even  to  say  “yes”  or  “no”  requires  an  effort 
which  it  is  almost  “ as  much  as  their  lives  are 
worth  ’ to  make. 


CHAPTER  XL 


THE  UNITY  OF  DISEASE. 

Biliousness.  Neuralgia. 

Dyspepsia.  Nervousness. 

These  four  diseases  occasion,  perhaps,  nine  tenths 
of  all  the  sufferings  endured  in  civilized  society, 
arising  from  chronic  ailments  ; that  is,  ailments 
which  last  for  months  and  years ; sometimes  better, 
sometimes  worse.  It  is  almost  impossible  to  enter 
any  household,  and  not  find  one  or  more  of  its  mem- 
bers suffering  to  a greater  or  less  extent  from  one 
of  the  forms  of  sickness  named. 

It  has  been  shown  indisputably  that  although  the 
effects  of  these  four  ailments  are  very  different, 
the  immediate  cause  is  bad  blood  — blood  which  is 
imperfect,  impure,  unnatural  to  the  system,  and 
hence  must  injure  it.  The  cause  being  one,  how- 
ever different  may  be  the  effects  in  different  consti- 
tutions, that  cause  must  be  removed  as  an  essential 
and  the  very  first  step  towards  a cure,  and  its  re- 
moval must  be  followed,  sooner  or  later,  by  the 
disappearance  of  the  effects  in  all  cases  where 
these  effects  have  not  been  allowed  to  remain  long 
enough  to  produce  actual  disorganization  of  some  of 
the  parts  affected,  or  long  enough  to  exhaust  their 


196 


THE  UNITY  OF  DISEASE. 


vitality,  their  power  of  recuperation,  — such  as  can- 
cer of  the  stomach,  liver,  bowels,  or  other  parts 
connected  with  the  digestive  process.  The  cause 
being  one,  the  method  of  removal  will  apply  to  each 
of  the  four  ailments  named,  although  this  removal 
of  the  one  cause  may  be  accomplished  in  various 
ways ; that  is  to  say,  if  “ bad  blood  ” causes  bilious- 
ness, dyspepsia,  neuralgia,  and  nervousness,  these 
maladies,  with  their  effects,  will  be  removed  by 
whatever  rectifies  this  bad  blood  ; that  is,  removes 
and  supplies  a good,  pure,  healthful,  and  life-giving 
material  in  its  stead. 

Bad  blood  is  unnatural  to  the  body  ; it  is  essen- 
tially a foreign  body ; and  it  is  physiologically  im- 
possible to  introduce  a foreign  body  into  the  living 
human  body  without  its  making  instinctive  efforts 
to  cast  that  foreign  body  out  of  itself,  and  in  every 
case  it  does  put  forth  all  the  power  it  is  capable  of 
exerting  to  effect  such  a result.  Not  only  so,  but 
it  is  beautiful  to  contemplate  that  when  a foreign 
body  is  introduced  into  the  system,  or  when  any- 
thing in  it  becomes  foreign,  as  food  swallowed 
which  it  cannot  make  a healthful  use  of  by  reason 
of  its  being  improper  in  quality,  quantity,  or  mode 
of  preparation,  the  system  seems  to  become  alarmed, 
and,  ceasing  some  of  its  ordinary  work,  it  concen- 
trates its  energies  towards  the  removal  of  this  for- 
eign body,  this  internal  enemy.  For  example,  if  a 
man  eats  too  much,  he  either  becomes  “ sick  at 
stomach,”  and  Nature  summons  all  her  energy  to 
enable  him  to  vomit  it  up  and  cast  it  out  in  disgust, 


nature’s  instincts. 


197. 


or  drawing  fluids  from  certain  reservoirs  of  the  sys- 
tem, dashes  them  in  upon  the  bowels  in  unusual 
quantities  to  flood  away  the  offending  mass,  and  in 
this  we  have  the  friendly  diarrhoea,  which  many 
ignorantly  “ stop,”  and  thus  oftentimes  thwart  Na- 
ture, and  by  so  doing  destroy  life  in  a few  days. 
There  is  something  similar  in  the  intelligence  of 

THE  LITTLE  BUSY  BEE 

when  any  “ foreigner”  enters  the  hive. 

In  the  case  of  the  human  body,  it  has  already 
been  shown  that  when  anything  foreign  to  it  is  to  be 
excluded,  ordinary  work  is  suspended  in  some  direc- 
tions, and  continues  suspended  until  the  work  of  ex- 
clusion is  completed  ; hence  the  weakness  which  fol- 
lows diarrhoea  and  many  other  forms  of  disease  ; it  is 
because  Nature  has  summoned  extra  efforts  to  her 
aid,  requires  rest,  time  for  recuperation  ; and  our 
highest  wisdom  in  the  treatment  of  all  diseases  is  to 
discover  what  Nature  wants  to  do,  then  to  help  her 
in  the  work,  and  finally  to  do  what  is  possible  to  re- 
cover from  the  greater  or  less  exhaustion  occasioned 
by  her  extra  efforts  to  protect,  defend,  and  recover 
her  strength.  When  food  has  become  a foreign 
body  in  the  stomach  by  its  remaining  there  undi- 
gested, the  appetite  is  taken  away,  as  if  Nature  fore- 
saw that  her  strength  ought  to  be  husbanded  for 
the  purpose  of  being  expended  on  the  extrusion,  in- 
stead of  asking  for  more  food,  which  would  require 
additional  power  for  digestion.  It  seems  as  if  there 
was  a living  and  reasoning  intelligence  called  into 


198 


THE  UNITY  OF  DISEASE. 


requisition  in  these  cases,  in  so  beautifully  and 
wisely  adapting  the  means  to  the  end. 

In  reference  to  the  existence  of  bad  blood  in 
the  body  as  foreign  matter,  two  things  are  essen- 
tially necessary  to  the  recovery  of  health,  as  has 
been  already  explained.  First,  the  bad  blood  must 
be  got  rid  of.  Second,  a pure  material  must  be 
substituted. 

It  has  also  been  shown  as  a ruling  principle  in 
the  living  organism,  that  when  there  is  any  foreign 
substance  in  the  body,  the  action  of  every  limb, 
and  muscle,  and  fibre  tends  to  work  and  push  that 
foreign  substance  outwards,  whether  it  be  undi- 
gested food,  a bullet,  a needle,  or  bad  blood,  for 
all  are  alike  unnatural  and  foreign  ; hence  it  seems 
to  follow  intuitively  that  as  a means  of  helping 
Nature,  we  should  increase  the  action  of  limb,  and 
muscle,  and  fibre,  by  going  to  work,  if  you  please ; 
or,  in  the  event  of  having  nothing  to  do,  take  mere 
exercise, — that  is  better  than  nothing, — and  keep  it 
up  persistently  day  after  day,  until  the  desired  thing 
is  accomplished.  And  as  the  muddiest  spring  will 
run  itself  as  clear  as  a bell  in  time,  so  will  the  hu- 
man body  run  itself  clear  of  its  bad  blood,  in  most 
cases,  if  not  interfered  with,  by  means  even  of  the 
involuntary  motions  and  operations  of  its  internal 
machinery,  but  much  sooner  if  these  involuntary 
movements  are  aided  by  voluntary  exercise  in  the 
open  air. 

And  if  exercise  works  the  bad  blood  of  bilious- 
ness out  of  the  system,  it  will  do  the  same  thing 


UNITY  OF  DISEASE. 


199 


with  equal  certainty,  with  a most  gratifying  uni- 
formity as  to  the  other  three  ailments,  dyspepsia, 
neuralgia,  and  nervousness,  showing  that  there  is 
a certain  unity  in  disease  as  well  as  a unity  in  the 
mode  of  cure. 

There  is  a great  variety  of  ailments,  an  infinitude 
of  combinations  of  symptoms,  which  would  appear 
hopelessly  complicated,  but  to  the  professional  mind 
they  are  promptly  classified,  and  in  many  cases 
traced  to  a single  cause,  — to  the  wrong  action  or 
want  of  action  in  a single  organ  ; and  by  rectifying 
that  condition  a host  of  symptoms  will  promptly 
disappear.  Hence  the  cause  may  be  one,  the  effects 
various  ; but  the  one  remedy,  by  removing  the  one 
cause,  may  cure  a dozen  or  more  of  the  symptoms 
of  the  one  disease. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


AIR  AND  EXERCISE. 

The  importance  of  exposure  to  the  out-door  air  as 
a means  of  recovery  from  disease  in  general,  and  es- 
pecially from  the  ailments  more  specially  considered 
in  these  pages,  can  scarcely  be  over-estimated  ; and 
yet  it  is  only  within  two  or  three  years  that  public 
attention  has  been  definitely  directed  to  the  glorious 
sunshine  as  a remedial  agent  of  very  great  power. 
There  is  a genial  warmth  in  the  sunlight,  a vitality, 
a life-giving  energy  never  found  in  any  form  of  ar- 
tificial heat,  and  then  there  is  in  the  comparative 
purity  of  out-door  air  a power  of  cleansing,  of  build- 
ing up,  a power  to  energize  peculiar  to  itself,  and  of 
a value  not  to  be  expressed  by  figures  in  its  health- 
ful influence  on  the  human  system.  Since  atten- 
tion has  been  specially  drawn  to  these  very  practical 
points  by  two  or  three  men,  armed  with  incontrover- 
tible facts,  their  consideration  has  been  forced  upon 
official  attention  ; facts  have  been  gradually  gath- 
ered, and  deductions  drawn  therefrom  leading  to  the 
suggestion  of  a proposition  from  high  authority,  the 
very  announcement  of  which  will  fairly  shock  the 
reader  as  one  of  the  greatest  inhumanities  of  mod- 
ern times,  — 


BURNING  HOSPITALS. 


201 


BURNIN.G  EVERY  HOSPITAL  TO  ASHES, 
rather  than  pursue  the  present  system  of  huddling 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  the  unfortunate  sick  un- 
der the  same  roof,  where  every  sight,  every  sound, 
every  association,  is  of  a depressing  character. 
There  is  nothing  curative  in  the  yells  of  the  maniac, 
in  the  shrieks  of  the  amputated,  in  the  groans  of 
the  dying.  The  consumptive  can  never  get  well  as 
long  as  a sepulchral  cough  comes  from  every  room 
in  the  building ; the  dyspeptic  will  rather  be  has- 
tened to  the  grave  if  he  meets  a skin-covered  skel- 
eton in  every  corridor  or  at  every  turn  in  the  street : 
the  moral  as  well  as  the  physical  atmosphere  should 
be  genial,  and  pure,  and  life-giving ; everything  to 
elevate,  nothing  to  depress.  There  is  not  one  cubic 
inch  of  pure  air  within  any  four  walls.  It  is  a 
familiar  fact  that  one  by  one  of  a family  died  until 
a window-glass  was  broken  in  winter,  and  the  keen- 
sighted  physician  forbade  its  repair ; and  there  were 
no  more  deaths,  and  the  remnant  soon  returned  to 
vigorous  health.  There  is  an  odor  about  every  hos- 
pital which  threatens  death  to  the  invalid  who  is 
long  exposed  to  it. 

The  first  fact  which  broke  in  upon  the  minds  of 
observant  physicians  was,  that  as  to  surgical  opera- 
tions in  hospitals,  the  larger  the  hospital,  the  sooner 
the  persons  operated  on  died,  and  the  greater  was 
the  number  of  deaths  in  proportion  to  the  number 
operated  upon,  in  spite  of  the  increased  skill  which 
larger  practice  gave,  in  spite  of  the  better  nursing 


202 


AIR  AND  EXERCISE. 


which  follows  experience.  The  astounding  fact 
presents  itself  that  in  the  great  lying-in  hospitals  of 
St.  Petersburg,  of  Vienna,  Dublin,  and  London,  one 
woman  out  of  forty-four  dies  in  her  confinement ; in 
Paris,  one  out  of  every  nineteen  ; while  in  small 
hospitals  there  is  only  one  death  in  two  hundred 
and  eighty-two  ; and  among  persons  who  live  in 
creviced  shanties,  where  the  blessed  out-door  air 
will  force  itself,  there  is  but  one  death  in  twelve 
hundred  confinements. 

Our  surgeons  frequently  noticed  during  the  civil 
war  that  the  number  of  persons  dying  in  the  rude 
buildings  erected  on  the  battle-field  was  far  less  than 
among  those  sent  to  city  hospitals.  The  same  con-  * 
elusive  facts  presented  themselves  to  European  sur- 
geons in  the  Crimean  War,  that  when  the  wounded 
were  scattered  among  the  huts  and  hovels  by  the 
way-side,  they  recovered  with  greater  promptitude 
and  with  far  greater  frequency  than  when  sent  to 
city  hospitals  provided  with  all  possible  facilities, 
comforts,  and  advantages  ; and  when  the  large  hos- 
pitals were  so  much  crowded  that  no  more  could  be 
received,  and  little  huts  and  shanties  had  to  be  * 
erected  within  sight  of  these  same  hospitals,  the  oc- 
cupants of  the  latter  convalesced  more  rapidly,  and 
died  in  far  less  numbers,  as  compared  with  those  in 
the  main  buildings  : hence  the  serious  discussion 
among  medical  men  in  the  old  world  as  to  the  pro- 
priety of  abolishing  all  large  hospitals,  and  distribut- 
ting  their  inmates,  so  that  but  very  few  should  be 
congregated  under  any  one  roof.  Facts  like  these 


DYSPEPSIA. 


203 


ought  to  make  an  indelible  impression  on  every  in- 
telligent reader  as  to  the  value  of  a free  exposure 
to  out-door  air  in  promoting  recovery  from  all  the 
diseases  to  which  humanity  is  liable. 

The  plausible  theories  which  do  not  stand  the 
test  of  actual  experiment,  however  beautiful  they 
may  be,  are  absolutely  worthless  ; hence  it  is  thought 
proper  to  introduce  here  various  illustrations  of  the 
practical  and  successful  carrying  out  of  the  princi- 
ples of  cure  as  to  the  four  ailments  named,  and  of 
others  of  an  allied  nature. 

Mrs.  M , of  C , had  been  a great  invalid 

for  years  ; she  was  reduced  to  a skeleton,  had  a con- 
stant hacking  cough,  was  greatly  debilitated,  and 
seemed  to  her  family  to  be  in  the  advanced  stages 
of  consumption  ; she  seldom  attempted  to  leave  her 
chamber.  At  this  juncture  she  learned  that  a 
married  daughter  was  very  ill,  and  greatly  desired 
to  see  her  in  Philadelphia.  As  this  involved  a jour- 
ney of  eight  hundred  miles  across  the  Alleghany 
Mountains,  the  very  thought  of  it  seemed  preposter- 
ous, as  at  that  time  there  were  no  canals  or  railroads, 
and  such  a trip  would  have  to  be  made  on  horseback 
or  by  the  mail-stage.  A physician  was  consulted, 
who  decided  that,  being  a clear  case  of  dyspepsia,  a 
horseback  journey  was  not  only  desirable,  but 
proper,  possible,  practicable,  and  very  certain  of 
highly  beneficial  results.  The  next  morning  the 
invalid  left  Cincinnati  for  Philadelphia,  and  travelled 
one  hour  in  the  forenoon,  rested  until  next  day, 
made  one  hour  in  the  forenoon,  and  another  in  the 


204 


AIR  AND  EXERCISE. 


afternoon,  increasing  the  time  and  distance  but  a 
little  every  day  ; stopping  with  great  regularity, 
travelling  only  between  sunrise  and  sunset,  and  eat- 
ing at  three  regular  hours.  In  less  than  two  months 
the  journey  was  completed,  with  increasing  strength, 
appetite,  and  flesh,  with  apparent  good  health  twenty 
years  later. 

The  circumstances  which  aided  most  in  securing 
so  great  a change  in  the  health  of  this  patient  were, 

First,  The  motive  of  the  journey.  All  of  a 
mother’s  affections  and  humanities  were  roused ; it 
was  a sick  daughter  yearning  to  see  her,  and  whom 
she  might  not  see  on  earth  again  if  time  was  not 
improved,  and  the  journey  promptly  undertaken. 
These  considerations  waked  up  the  waning  energies, 
and  swept  away  a thousand  little  obstacles  with  con- 
tempt, which  under  other  circumstances  might  have 
appeared  formidable ; hence  it  is  insisted  that  in  or- 
der to  obtain  extraordinary  results  in  the  effort  to 
regain  health  by  out-door  activities,  the  moral  ele- 
ment is  of  very  great  importance  ; there  must  be  a 
motive  for  the  exercise  ; and  in  proportion  as  it  is 
absorbing  by  reason  of  the  interest,  pleasure,  and 
profit  connected  with  it,  in  such  proportion  will 
prompt,  marked,  and  decisive  good  results  follow. 

Second,  The  mode  of  performing  the  journey. 
It  was  to  be  made  on  horseback ; this  gave  a longer 
exposure  to  the  breathing  of  a pure  out-door  air, 
with  less  fatigue  than  if  engaged  in  work.  In  ad- 
dition there  was  no  strain,  no  haste,  no  worry  ; no 
getting  overheated,  then  cooling  off  too  quickly,  to 


OVER  EXERCISE. 


205 


engender  colds,  coughs,  pleurisies,  lung-fever,  and 
the  like. 

Third,  Another  advantage  in  this  form  of  exer- 
cise was  that  it  could  be  regulated  according  to 
circumstances  ; the  patient  could  travel  a mile  a 
day,  or  thirty,  or  more,  as  the  system  seemed  to  be 
able  to  bear  the  fatigue,  which  in  no  case  needed 
to  be  excessive  ; when  an  invalid  works  or  exercises 
until  so  weary  as  to  be  expressed  by  being 

COMPLETELY  FAGGED  OUT, 

more  harm  has  been  done  than  all  the  previous  ex- 
ercise had  done  good  ; that  is,  all  the  benefits  of  the 
previous  exercise  have  been  nullified.  In  her 
journey  the  lady  was  soon  able  to  ride  twelve  or 
fifteen  or  more  miles  in  the  forenoon,  when  she  be- 
gan to  feel  hungry ; then,  stopping  at  some  neat 
country  inn,  she  rested  awhile,  took  a good  dinner, 
and  in  an  hour  thereafter  was  on  her  winding  way 
again,  and  travelling  some  dozen  miles  farther 
brought  her  to  near  sundown,  to  lay  by  until  next 
morning  after  breakfast.  Whenever  the  weather 
was  inclement,  she  remained  a day  or  two  or  more, 
more  favorable  news  from  her  daughter  having 
made  great  haste  less  imperative.  Taking  it  alto- 
gether, this  form  of  travel  with  one  or  two  cheerful, 
considerate,  and  intelligent  companions  is  one  of  the 
best  possible  as  a means  of  recovering  from  a great 
variety  of  diseases,  and  very  especially  those  which 
have  been  named  at  the  head  of  Chapter  XI. 

R B left  Princeton  Seminary  as  a young 


206 


AIR  AND  EXERCISE. 


minister  with  shattered  health  ; in  a few  weeks  he 
began  to  u spit  blood,”  a congh  came  on,  emaciation 
followed,  and  it  was  soon  whispered  among  his  near- 
est friends  that  he  was  a hopeless  consumptive  ; as 
a last  resort,  it  was  arranged  that  he  should  take  a 
missionary  tour  from  New  York  through  the  South- 
ern States  on  horseback.  His  heart  was  in  the 
work ; full  of  enthusiasm  in  his  Master’s  cause,  he 
seemed  to  feel  that  he  was  literally  fulfilling  the 
command,  — 

AS  YE  GO,  PREACH. 

This  was  done  with  such  increasing  advantage 
that  the  plan  was  persisted  in,  and  at  the  age  of 
sixty-five  he  was  one  of  the  strongest,  sturdiest,  well 
built  men  of  his  time.  He  had  lived  to  stand  be- 
fore kings,  had  met  with  almost  every  sovereign  in 
Europe,  and  crowned  heads  were  ever  glad  to  do 
him  honor  and  greet  him  with  a cordial  welcome. 
He  was  raised  from  the  dead  by  persistent  out-door 
activities,  and  the  plentiful  eating  of  plain,  whole- 
some, nutritious  food. 

Within  a year  Miss  W , aged  nineteen,  was 

sent  to  Maine  from  New  York  city  for  her  health  ; 
it  was  a beautiful  country  home  ; her  friends  and 
kindred  gave  her  a cordial  welcome  ; but  she  was 
so  feeble,  so  emaciated,  had  such  a wan  appear- 
ance, that  they  wondered  among  themselves  why 
her  parents  should  have  sent  her  there  to  die.  Her 
disease  was 


THE  WAY  TO  HEALTH. 


207 


DYSPEPSIA  AND  LIVER  COMPLAINT. 

There  were  headache,  cold  feet,  costive  bowels, 
hectic  chills,  nauseated  stomach,  dreadful  dreams, 
sleepless  nights,  and  such  a feeling  of  debility  and 
depression  that  it  was  pitiful  to  behold  her.  She  had 
received  certain  instructions  from  home,  as  to  eat- 
ing, exercise,  out-door  employments  ; and  having 
occupied  a high  position  as  a teacher  in  a public 
school,  she  had  advantages  of  mental  culture,  <jf 
force  of  will,  and  of  decision  of  character  which 
were  of  essential  service  to  her.  She  was  out-of- 
doors  all  of  daylight,  she  went  a berrying,  she  went 
a haying,  she  went  a bird-nesting,  she  rode  horses, 
she  played  games,  she  sang  songs,  thumped  on 
the  piano,  milked  the  cows,  danced  jigs,  climbed 
trees,  and  went  around  generally ; with  the  result 
that  in  the  first  five  weeks  she  had  gained  eleven 
pounds,  and  returned  to  Brooklyn  in  the  autumn 
with  a ruddiness  of  cheek,  a rotundity  of.  person, 
an  elasticity  of  step,  and  brightness  of  eye  which 
showed  her  to  be  a woman  in  superior  health.  But 
perhaps  it  is  waste  of  paper  to  have  given  this  nar- 
ration, for  it  is  too  much  to  hope  for  that  there 
could  be  found  a dozen  in  a million  who  possessed 
the  energy  of  this 

YOUNG  SCHOOL-MISTRESS. 

But  there  is  the  way  to  health,  and  let  those  whc 
come  after,  and  are  wise,  follow  it.  Every  physician 
of  wide  experience  can  give  similar  cases  from  his 


208 


AIR  AND  EXERCISE. 


note-book,  yet  it  will  avail  but  little.  Now  and 
then  a person  of  force  of  character  may  be  found 
to  go  and  do  likewise,  in  reference  to  the  course  of 
this  young  scliool-girl,  but  the  multitude  will  go  on 
as  before,  procrastinating,  experimenting  on  tonics, 
and  sirups,  and  troches,  and  bitters,  and  brandy,  until 
the  constitution  is  made  a wreck,  and  rest  is  found, 
rest  from  bodily  torment,  only  in 

THE  FRIENDLY  GRAVE. 

A lady  of  unusual  intelligence  from  Rochester, 
New  York,  in  connection  with  some  advice  pre- 
viously had  from  a physician,  stated  that  she  had 
discovered,  in  her  case  at  least,  a sovereign  remedy 
for  biliousness  was  living  for  a few  days  on  very 
plain,  but  substantial,  nourishing  food,  such  as  her 
appetite  craved,  and  taking  long  out-door  walks. 
A similar  course  can  be  easily  tried  by  the  reader, 
and  would  doubtless  be  followed  by  encouraging 
results  in  very  many  cases. 

PHYSIC  AND  MEDICINE 

are  associated  in  our  minds  with  all  that  is  disagree- 
able, nauseous,  and  disgusting.  The  word  “ physic  ” 
was  used  by  the  Greeks,  in  its  application  to  disease, 
as  meaning  to  u bring  forth,’ 5 bringing  out  of  the 
body  that  which  caused  sickness,  as  an  emetic  brings 
from  the  stomach  that  which  causes  nausea,  or  a 
cathartic  that  which  causes  distress  in  the  bowels. 
The  Romans,  however,  used  the  word  “ medicine  ” 
in  a more  expressive  sense,  as  something  which  had 


PHYSIC  AND  MEDICINE. 


200 


a “ healing  ” power  ; but  in  these  later  ages,  with 
the  increased  and  increasing  knowledge  of  the 
nineteenth  century  and  the  nearer  approach  of  the 
millennium,  we  may  arrive  at  a better  way,  and  find 
remedies  for  disease  in  more  palatable  things  than 
pills  and  potions,  than  tartar  and  jalap,  aloes  and 
asafbetida. 


CHAPTER  XIH. 


FOOD  CURE 

There  is  reason  to  believe  that  the  happy  time 
will  come  when  we  may  be  able  to  remedy  dis- 
ease by  the  free  use  of  sugar  candy,  cordials,  plum- 
cake,  and  roast  beef.  The  world  has  gradually 
fallen  into  the  use  of  medicine  in  disease  from  the 
simple  observation  of  cause  and  effect ; and  the  re- 
sult has  been,  that  the  practice  of  medicine,  in  the 
hands  of  the  educated  physician,  has  been  reduced 
to  a science,  in  several  directions  to  a mathematical 
certainty,  despite  the  antics  of  a few  who  are  will- 
ing for  a mess  of  pottage,  the  raising  of  a laugh,  to 
make  a jest  at  the  expense  of  their  profession. 

It  has  been  observed  that  tartar  emetic,  intro- 
duced into  the  stomach,  caused  vomiting  ; it  has 
been  used  a million  times,  and  a million  times  has 
exhibited  the  same  effect ; hence  when  tartar  emetic 
is  swallowed,  we  feel  sure  of  the  result.  The  next 
step  was  a deduction.  If  tartar  emetic  taken  into 
the  stomach  causes  vomiting,  causes  the  stomach  to 
empty  itself,  then,  if  there  is  anything  in  the  stom- 
ach which  we  want  out  of  it,  it  is  a very  natural 
conclusion  that  tartar  emetic  is  “ good  for”  making 
the  stomach  “ stand  and  deliver.”  It  came  by  de- 
grees to  be  noticed  that  opium  caused  sleepiness  if 


MONEY  A MEDICINE. 


211 


* 

swallowed  ; a million  times  opium  was  swallowed, 
and  a million  times  were  the  recipients  made  sleepy  ; 
hence  the  very  natural  inference  that  opium  was 
44  good  for  ” putting  a man  to  sleep;  and  when  men 
want  to  go  to  sleep,  they  know  that  they  can  do  so 
if  they  swallow  a little  opium.  Hence  the  various 
things  which  are  used  for  remedies  in  disease  have 
come  by  degrees  into  use,  — some  by  accident,  oth- 
ers by  induction,  and  all  more  or  less  relied  upon. 
The  general  idea  of  medicine  is,  then,  that  it  is 
something  which  will  remove  some  disagreeable 
sensation,  some  44  symptom  ” of  disease.  It  is,  then, 
fair  to  infer  that  whatever  uniformly  removes  a 
symptom,  is  a medicine.  If  a man  is  as 

BLUE  AS  INDIGO, 

in  reference  to  depression  of  spirits  caused  by  the 
want  of  a dollar  to  buy  him  a dinner,  give  him  a 
ten-dollar  bill,  and  he  will  be  one  of  the  happiest  of 
mortals  — until  the  ten  is  gone  ; a million  times 
give  a ten,  and  a million  times  will  he  brighten  up 
most  amazingly,  and  naturally  we  begin  to  feel  a 
perfect  conviction  that  money  is  44  good  for  ” low 
spirits  and  very  many  other  44  symptoms  ; ” hence 

MONEY  IS  A MEDICINE, 

efficient,  easy  to  take,  and,  like  all  other  44  simple  ” 
remedies,  44  will  do  no  harm  if  it  does  no  good.”  In 
the  same  line  of  reasoning  it  will  be  shown  that  va- 
rious articles  of  food  are  medicinal,  are  good  for 
removing  symptoms  of  a disease,  and  hence  can  be 


212 


FOOD  CURE. 


used  medicinally  in  a considerable  variety  of  cases 
of  actual  suffering  ; and  the  time  may  be  nearer 
than  is  generally  supposed  when  a sick  man  will  be 
restored  to  permanent  health  by  good  eating. 

SALT 

may  be  regarded  as  an  article  of  human  food. 
There  is  no  other  as  safe  and  uniformly  efficient 
remedy  for  arresting  that  alarming  symptom,  hem- 
orrhage, more  commonly  known  as 

SPITTING  BLOOD. 

We  know  that  it  creates  thirst;  the  system  may 
supply  this  want  by  absorbing  the  more  watery  par- 
ticles of  the  blood,  this  instantly  diminishes  the  vol- 
ume of  the  fluid,  thus  arresting  the  quantity  and 
the  power  of  the  flow ; hence  salt  is  a remedy,  a 
medicine  which  is  good  for  arresting  bleeding  from 
the  lungs. 

A lump  of  salt  swallowed  or  forced  into  the  stom- 
ach has  been  known  to  arrest  convulsions,  especially 
those  forms  connected  with 

EPILEPSY. 

Intelligent  readers  know  that  after  eating  a 
water-melon  the  urination  is  very  largely  in- 
creased ; it  seems  to  have  a prompt  and  powerful 
Stimulating  effect  on  the  action  of  the  kidneys. 
We  know  that  in  cholera  and  several  other  forms 
of  disease  when  urination  ceases  death  is  inevit- 
able, unless  this  function  is  very  speedily  recstab- 


WATER-MELONS. 


213 


lislied ; the  inference,  then,  may  well  be  drawn, 
there  are  conditions  in  cholera  wherein 

WATER-MELONS 

might  be  taken  with  a reasonable  probability  of 
saving  life,  and  may  be  beneficially  taken  in  other 
forms  of  disease,  in  which  it  may  be  desirable  to 
“ act  upon  the  kidneys.’5 

All  physicians  of  all  schools  know  that 

CALOMEL 

“ acts  ” upon  the  liver,  and  with  the  utmost  cer- 
tainty, with  a certainty  almost  approaching  to  in- 
fallibility ; and  being  tasteless,  requiring  only  a small 
quantity,  and  as  safe,  perhaps,  as  any  drug  known 
to  man,  if  taken  with  intelligence,  it  is  relied  upon 
and  used  with  increasing  confidence,  the  world  over, 
and  probably  will  be  to  the  end  of  time,  when  it  is 
desirable  to  act  on  the  liver,  to  stimulate  it  to  do 
more  and  better  work.  Why  water-melon  acts  on 
the  kidneys,  calomel  on  the  liver,  tartar  emetic  on 
the  stomach,  and  castor-oil  on  the  bowels,  we  may 
never  know  ; but  that  they  do  these  things  uniformly, 
always,  is  an  admitted  truth ; hence  they  are  “ good 
for”  such  disorders ; the  delicious  water-melon  as 
“ good  for  ” the  kidneys  as  the  hated  calomel  is 
“ good  for  ” the  liver.  But 

DIARRHOEA  AND  DYSENTERY 

are  akin  to  cholera  in  their  nature.  Diarrhoea  is 
an  excess  of  fluid  in  the  discharges  from  the  bowels  ; 


214 


FOOD  CURE. 


if  that  excess  of  fluid  can  be  drawn  from  the 
bowels  to  some  other  part  of  the  body,  which 
has  a less  weakening  effect,  then  a step  has  been 
made  towards  curing  the  diarrhoea  ; hence,  if  a per- 
son suffering  from  diarrhoea  had  the  appetite  and 
the  opportunity  to  “ take”  a good  water-melon,  it 
might  be  his  salvation. 

Six  years  ago  a lady  from  New  York  was  attacked 
with  a painful,  debilitating,  and  alarming  bowel 
complaint ; ordinary  remedies  proved  unavailing  ; 
she  was  tormented  with  excessive  thirst,  and  the 
water  there  was  so  brackish  that  it  did  no  good  to 
drink  it ; accidentally  a very  fine  large  water-melon 
was  at  hand  ; she  ate  it  ravenously,  her  symptoms 
changed  almost  on  the  instant,  and  in  two  or  three 
days  she  was  in  her  usual  health  ; the  water-melon 
u acted  ” upon  the  kidneys,  changed  the  direction 
of  the  drains  upon  the  system,  and  she  was  saved. 

Within  a week  of  this  writing,  a writer  in  “ The 
Medical  and  Surgical  Journal  ” says  tersely,  “ A 
lady  had  suffered  from  diarrhoea,  which  was  growing 
worse,  and  had  decided  to  take  medicine  in  the 
afternoon.  At  dinner  she  ate  heartily  of  water- 
melon, and  thought  no  more  of  the  diarrhoea,  had 
one  passage  after  dinner,  took  more  water-melon  at 
tea,  and  was  afterward  entirely  free  from  her  com- 
plaint.” 

It  may  be  reasonably  inferred  that  water-melon 
is  “ good  for”  all  fevers  ; we  know  very  well  that 
fevers  are  “ carried  away  ” by  free  urination  ; that 
the  urine  itself  is  the  vehicle  which  conveys  from 


FEVERS  CURED. 


215 

the  body  a very  large  proportion  of  its  dead,  waste, 
useless,  and  diseased  material ; and  it  would  seem 
that  to  promote  the  action  of  the  kidneys  was  but 
to  hasten  the  cure  of  the  fever,  and  that  the  luscious 
water-melon  was  a cure  for  fevers,  and  their  name 
is  Legion  ; certain  it  is  that  if  there  is  an  appetite 
for  it,  and  the  stomach  will  bear  it,  it  must  of  neces- 
sity be  a very  valuable  febrifuge.  It  is  authorita- 
tively stated  that  a few  years  ago,  an  American 
physician,  then  in  South  America,  treated  eight 
cases  of  yellow  fever  with  water-melons  ; he  gave 
each  patient  half  a one  at  a time,  and  there  was 
not  a single  death.  The  hint  for  this  mods  of  prac- 
tice was  taken  from  an  incident  under  his  own  ob- 
servation. He  had  a patient  under  his  own  care 
previously  who  had  yellow  fever.  The  case  ap- 
peared desperate,  and  he  left  him  late  at  night 
expecting  him  to  die ; next  morning,  to  his  great 
surprise,  he  found  him  greatly  better,  and  he  event- 
ually recovered.  During  the  night  the  patient 
crawled  on  his  hands  and  knees,  while  his  watchers 
were  asleep,  to  an  adjoining  room,  where  there  was 
a pile  of  water-melons ; he  ate  to  his  fill,  and  the 
change  in  his  condition  wras  attributed  to  beneficial 
effects  of  the  melons. 


CABBAGE 

is  usually  prepared  for  the  table  by  boiling,  and  is 
considered  strong  food,  as  being  fit  only  for  the  most 
robust  men  and  of  hardy  constitutions  ; and  from  the 
fact  that  it  requires  five  hours  for  its  digestion  in  the 


216 


FOOD  CURE. 


stomach  while  ordinary  food  is  digested  in  about 
half  the  time,  it  would  seem  that  it  with  fat  pork, 
another  five-hour  food,  might  well  be  banished  from 
our  tables.  At  the  same  time  a good  raw  cabbage, 
fresh  and  crisp,  cut  up  in  thread-like  pieces  and 
eaten  with  good  vinegar,  is  digested  in  about  an 
hour,  and,  as  has  been  stated  in  a previous  page,  is 
“ good  for  ” a weak  stomach  and  a poor  digestion ; 
it  certainly  is  a palatable  dish,  and  has  remedial 
virtues  in  all  those  cases  where  the  instinct  calls 
for  it,  and  where  it  can  be  taken  with  a relish,  with- 
out subsequent  discomfort. 

NERVOUS  DYSPEPSIA 

is  often  occasioned  by  the  unnatural  distention  and 
consequent  weakening  of  the  large  intestine,  and  in 
this  state  it  is  often  thrust  from  its  natural  position  ; 
this  distention  is  the  result  of  constipation,  or  accu- 
mulated gases,  and  there  is  no  remedy  but  the  re- 
moval of  that  confined  condition  of  the  bowels. 

NEW  CIDER 

may  be  considered  an  article  of  the  table,  not  hard 
to  take,  and,  as  many  know,  passes  through  the 
bowels,  carrying  everything  before  it ; and  to  this 
extent  is  good  for  nervous  dyspepsia,  one  of  the 
most  distressing  of  human  maladies,  for  it  not  only 
makes  the  sufferer  miserable,  but  all  who  are  thrown 
within  the  sphere  of  his  associations.  Fruits  and 
berries  of  every  description  are  admirable  reme- 
dies in  this  and  all  other  cases  where  a free  condi- 
tion of  the  bowels  is  desirable. 


DYSENTERY. 


217 


ROAST  BEEF 

is  good  for  a hungry  man,  and,  as  most  persons 
know,  is  good  for  a starving  man.  But  within  a 
year  or  two  it  has  come  to  be  considered  by  emi- 
nent medical  men  that  raw  beef,  minced  up,  may 
be  administered  with  a reasonable  certainty  of  suc- 
cess in  that  distressing  malady, 

DYSENTERY, 

distinguished  by  its  bloody  passages,  and  that 
terrible  and  fruitless  desire  of  passing  something 
from  the  body ; these  two  symptoms  distinguish 
this  from  all  other  maladies,  known  extensively  in 
some  portions  of  our  country  as 

BLOODY  FLUX. 

Raw  minced  beef,  administered  as  the  almost  sole 
article  of  food,  at  the  usual  intervals  of  eating,  and  in 
quantities  as  great  as  the  patient  can  conveniently 
and  comfortably  swallow,  seems  to  have  an  admirable 
effect  in  mastering  the  disease  in  question  ; and 
even  in  consumption,  it  seems  to  assimilate  so  read- 
ily with  the  system,  in  supplying  flesh  where  flesh 
is  so  much  needed,  that  some  physicians  are  pre- 
scribing it,  and  with  this  agreeable  circumstance, 
that  although  it  is  so  repellant  to  our  tastes  at  first 
thought  to  be  eating  raw,  bloody  meat,  yet  the 
stomach  soon  becomes  reconciled  to  it,  and  even  to 
crave  it.  In  the  case  of  one  of  the  members  of 
the  Cabinet,  recently  deceased,  who  had  been  using 


218 


FOOD  CURE. 


it  in  the  hope  of  its  benefiting  him  in  his  suffer- 
ings from  disease  of  the  lungs,  there  seemed  to  be 
such  a liking  for  it,  that  when  the  last  meal  was 
brought  to  his  bedside,  his  eye  brightened,  and  he 
exclaimed,  “ Ah  ! that  is  a dish  good  enough  for  a 
king.” 

When  raw  beef  is  administered  for  dysentery, 
indicated  by  bloody  discharges  and  a most  distress- 
ing and  ineffectual  “ bearing  down,”  it  should  be 
minced  very  fine,  and  given  every  four  hours,  a 
table-spoonful  at  a time,  eating  nothing  else  mean- 
while. 

Celery  is  considered  an  efficient  remedy  in  some 
diseases  of  the  kidneys. 

Bananas  have  been  repeatedly  used  with  gratify 
ing  success  in  cases  of  chronic  diarrhoea. 

Not  only  has  costiveness  been  removed  by  the 
free  use  of  fruits  and  berries,  raw,  ripe,  and  perfect, 
but  they  are  often  employed  advantageously  in 
the  bowel  complaints  of  summer. 

Teething  children  have  been  often  cured  of  loose- 
ness of  bowels  by  being  allowed  to  chew  the  rind 
of  bacon  freely,  with  some  of  its  fat  attached ; and 
they  chew  it  greedily ; it  seems  to  have  a beneficial 
effect  on  the  gums  also. 

Some  of  the  most  troublesome  forms  of  diarrhoea 
have  been  arrested  by  parching  common  rice  brown, 
like  roasted  coffee,  then  boiling  and  using  in  the 
ordinary  way  ; and  with  bodily  quietude,  it  often 
cures  when  nothing  else  will. 

A heaping  tea-spoonful  or  two  of  common  salt 


^ • V/*  '* 

poison  a#idoteS.  • 21.9 

LlhmRY 

and  common  kitchen  grod!l&d-mustard,  stim.d  rap- 
idly in  a glass  of  water  and  a^nJ^c^ickly,  sets  the 
person  vomiting  almost  the  insniSifc^ 
stomach,  thus  making  it  admirably  adapted  to  cases 
of  poisoning  or  overloaded  stomach. 

When  a poison  has  been  swallowed,  a table- 
spoonful or  two,  in  addition,  of  olive  or  other 
sweet  oil,  makes  assurance  doubly  sure.  A tea- 
cupful of  very  strong  coffee  will  nullify  the  effects 
of  opium. 

Very  many  poisons,  especially  of  the  metallic 
kind,  are  made  instantly  harmless,  if  the  whites  of 
two  or  three  eggs  are  promptly  swallowed. 

Superficial  scalds  and  burns  have  the  pain  in- 
stantly arrested  by  immersing  the  parts  in  cold 
water;  sprinkle  common  flour  over  the  injured 
parts  as  soon  as  it  can  be  procured,  until  no 
more  will  stick  on,  — the  point  being  to  com- 
pletely cover  the  skin  from  the  air  ; if  the  flour  falls 
off,  apply  more.  In  a few  days  a new  skin  will  be 
formed,  and  the  flour  will  either  cake  off,  or  it  may 
be  loosened  or  dissolved  by  holding  the  injured  part 
under  warm  water ; let  it  fall  off ; if  it  is  picked  off, 
the  very  tender  new  skin  may  be  broken,  and  heal- 
ing retarded. 

Erysipelas  often  comes  on  without  any  warning, 
and  proves  fatal  in  a few  days ; but  if  the  parts 
are  promptly  covered  with  a poultice  of  pounded 
raw  cranberries,  a cure  is  effected  within  a week. 

Insect  and  rattlesnake  bites  have  proved  harm- 
less, by  applying  a plaster  made  of  common  salt 
and  the  yolk  of  an  egg. 


220 


FOOD  CURE. 


Neuralgia  and  toothache  have  been  sometimes 
arrested  by  applying  to  the  wrist  a quantity  of 
grated  horse-radish. 

Tomatoes  make  an  agreeable  and  efficient  rem- 
edy for  costive  bowels,  if  eaten  raw  or  cooked,  act- 
ing mechanically  by  the  seeds  coming  in  contact 
with  the  mucous  surface  of  the  bowels,  and  thus 
stimulating  their  action  like  white  mustard-seed  or 
figs. 

Five  ounces  of  sugar  a day  will,  according  to 
Banting’s  observations,  increase  a man’s  weight  one 
pound  in  a week. 

Common  sweet  cider,  boiled  down  to  one  half  or 
less,  makes  an  excellent  sirup  for  the  coughs  and 
colds  of  children  ; it  is  pleasant  to  the  taste,  and 
will  keep  good  for  a year  in  a cool  cellar. 

Persons,  in  recovering  from  sickness,  sometimes 
have  a great  desire  for  a cooling  drink,  a little 
acid  ; it  is  instinct  craving  the  acid,  which  acts 
upon  the  liver ; this  is  made  by  allowing  cider  to 
come  slowly  to  a boil ; let  it  gradually  cool,  place 
it  in  good  casks  in  a cool  cellar,  and  it  will  keep 
good  for  years. 

Powdered  red  pepper,  best  to  be  had  from  good 
druggists  under  the  name  of  “ capsicum,”  is  a great 
promoter  of  a good  digestion  in  cases  of  weak 
stomach,  if  taken  freely  in  soups  and  on  meats  ; it 
has  a stimulating  power  like  alcohol,  without  any 
of  its  exciting  or  narcotic  effects. 

The  common  grape  has  such  a wide  range  of 
beneficial  influence  over  disease  that  there  are 


CRACKED  WHEAT. 


221 


several  establishments  in  Germany  under  the  name 
of  44  The  Grape  Cure.”  If  the  seeds  are  swallowed, 
costiveness  is  obviated ; if  the  pulp  is  eaten,  it  is  a 
pure  nutriment,  and  is  soothing  to  irritated  bowels  ; 
if  the  pulp  and  seeds  are  removed,  and  the  re- 
mainder chewed,  there  is  a liquid  obtained  from  the 
skins  which  is  a valuable  astringent  in  loose  bow- 
els : in  this  case  the  skins  should  not  be  swallowed. 

For  several  years  there  was  at  Heidelberg  the 
44  Molken  Cure,”  or  the  milk  cure,  where  butter- 
milk, sweet  milk,  and  sour  milk  were  used  to  meet 
different  diseased  conditions.  The  general  effect 
of  buttermilk  is  to  act  on  the  kidneys ; to  promote, 
by  its  acidity,  a gentle  impression  on  the  liver, 
and  thus  a favorable  influence  over  all  febrile  and 
bilious  diseases. 

As  boiled  milk  promotes  costiveness,  it  may  be 
used  to  advantage  as  a food  in  loose  bowels,  espe- 
cially where  they  will  not  tolerate  solid  food. 

Sweet  milk,  if  largely  used  by  sedentary  persons, 
has  the  effect  seemingly  to  cause  biliousness  in 
some  and  constipation  in  others ; it  may  be  for 
this  reason  that  the  Germans  are  said  to  make  it 
sour  by  using  rennet,  and  thus  increase  the  ac- 
tivity of  the  liver. 

CRACKED  WHEAT, 

or  the  whole  grain  broken  into  several  pieces,  and 
then  boiled  until  quite  soft,  is  advocated  by  high 
medical  authority,  corroborated  by  the  experience 
of  many  intelligent  persons,  as  useful  in  promot- 


222 


FOOD  CURE. 


ing  a free  condition  of  the  bowels,  in  addition  to 
its  nourishing  qualities.  It  can  be  eaten  alone,  or 
with  salt,  butter,  sirup,  milk,  or  sugar,  according 
to  the  taste  of  the  person  using  it ; it  may  be  well 
to  employ  it  in  these  different  ways  alternately, 
otherwise  the  sameness  may  cause  the  stomach  to 
disrelish  it.  Cracked  wheat  will  make  a good 
breakfast  or  supper  of  itself,  and  should  be  thus 
used  if  it  is  intended  to  obtain  its  healthful  effects 
as  a loosener  of  the  bowels  ; but  when  this  object 
has  been  accomplished,  it  may  then  be  employed 
only  occasionally,  as  any  other  food,  so  as  to  have 
something  to  fall  back  upon  in  case  of  need.  It 
operates  on  the  bowels  by  having  a large  amount 
of  waste,  which,  descending  to  the  lower  bowel, 
distends  it,  as  would  an  injection  of  water  or  any 
other  fluid ; and  this  distention  promotes  a discharge 
from  the  system,  as  effectual  and  more  naturally 
than  an  injection.  But  in  addition  to  its  good  ef- 
fects in  this  direction,  it  contains  an  ingredient, 
in  the  nature  of  lime,  which  promotes  the  growth 
and  strength  of  the  bones,  gives  fine,  solid,  strong 
teeth,  which  not  only  beautify  the  face,  but  so 
completely  divide  the  food  which  is  eaten  into  such 
small  pieces  that  its  digestion  is  greatly  facili- 
tated and  hastened,  and  thus  very  much  is  done  to- 
ward promoting  the  health  of  the  system,  impart- 
ing vigor  to  the  body,  power  to  the  brain,  and  life 
and  elasticity  to  the  whole  man.  The  human  sys- 
tem will  derive  nearly  double  the  amount  of  nutri- 
ment and  strength  from  ten  pounds  of  wheat  as  from 


BRAIN  FOOD. 


223 


ten  pounds  of  what  is  called  the  best  flour  in  the 
market. 

Corn  (Indian)  prepared  as  cracked  wheat,  and 
called  “ hominy,”  coarse  or  fine,  gives  more  warmth, 
but  not  as  much  of  the  flesh-forming  principle ; 
hence  the  instincts  of  the  Western  people  make 
“hog  and  hominy”  go  together,  while  New  Eng- 
landers glory  in  “ pork  and  beans.” 

Scientific  investigation  seems  of  late  to  point  to 
the  fact  that  as  the  brain  must  be  fed  on  phos- 
phoric food,  eggs  and  fish,  which  have  a large 
amount  of  this  ingredient,  are  best  adapted  to 
thinkers.  And  it  may  be  that  the  old  become 
senile,  fall  into  second  childhood,  have  softening 
of  the  brain,  because  it  is  starved,  has  not  as  much 
of  its  vital  food  sent  to  it  as  it  requires  ; that 
using  it  so  much,  ordinary  foods  cannot  supply  the 
requisite  amount  of  the  craved  material.  That 
such  foods  should  be  used  in  these  cases,  which  has 
a larger  proportion  of  that  element  which  the  brain 
feeds  upon,  seems  to  be  a just  conclusion.  The 
bread  upon  our  tables  is  valued  in  proportion  to 
its  whiteness  ; some  bakers  pamper  this  prejudice, 
by  adding  drugs  to  their  flour  to  increase  the  white- 
ness and  cover  the  defects  of  the  damaged  material 
used.  But  chemical  analysis  shows  that  near  one 
half  of  the  most  substantial  brain-nourishing  portion 
of  wheat  is  wanting  in  very  fine  flour,  the  phosphoric 
acid  being  contained  mainly  in  the  bran  and  shorts. 
To  give  power  to  the  brain,  strength  to  the  bones, 
and  beauty  and  durability  to  the  teeth,  it  amounts 


224 


FOOD  CURE. 


to  a demonstration  that  from  the  time  of  weaning, 
the  bread  material  consumed  by  the  child,  until  the 
teens  are  nearly  passed,  should  be  made  of  the 
whole  material  of  the  grain  of  wheat,  either  in  the 
shape  of  wheaten  grits  or  bran  or  brown  bread; 
and  the  common  sense,  the  affection,  and  the  duty  of 
intelligent  parents  are  hereby  appealed  to,  to  inves- 
tigate  this  most  important  practical  subject,  and  act 
upon  it,  under  the  influence  of  a high  moral  prin- 
ciple. 

The  facts  which  have  been  stated  in  reference 
to  the  curative  agency  of  the  articles  on  our  tables, 
of  employing  food  as  a medicine,  which  will  not 
only  prevent  disease,  but  cure  it  in  many  of  its 
more  common  forms,  are  commended  to  the  candid 
consideration  of  intelligent  minds.1 

l See  Note  III.  page  273. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


“ HEALTH  BY  GOOD  LIVING.” THE  ARGUMENT. 

No  educated  physician,  of  any  school,  will  deny 
that  vigorous  health  antagonizes  disease,  enables  the 
body  to  live  above  sickness.  A fort  may  have  brave 
men  enough  within  its  walls  to  repel  any  attack 
which  may  be  made  against  it.  A man  may  have 
such  a stock  of  high  health  as  to  resist  the  most 
destructive  diseases. 

A DRUNKARD 

is  never  well.  A man  who  drinks  largely  is  never 
well  — is  never  in  good  health.  It  is  a known  fact 
that  when  the  Asiatic  cholera  visits  a community, 
its  drunkards  die  first ; the  feeble  of  all  classes  die 
first. 

Sickness  is  debility,  either  of  the  whole  body 
or  parts  of  it.  Health  is  strength;  they  are  abso- 
lutely inseparable. 

All  human  strength  is  derived  from  the  food 
eaten,  and  can  be  derived  from  no  other  source. 
To  keep  up  the  strength,  a man  must  eat,  and  he 
cannot  do  it  in  any  other  way.  To  keep  up  the 
strength  is  to  keep  the  general  health  at  a high 
point. 

lb 


226  “ HEALTH  BY  GOOD  LIVING.” 

It  must  then  follow  that,  to  keep  well,  we  must 
eat  well.  To  eat  well,  we  must  have  the  best  food, 
prepared  in  the  best  manner,  — that  is,  prepared  in 
such  a way  that  the  stomach  may  digest  it  most 
easily,  — and  thus  obtain  the  largest  amount  of 
nutriment  with  the  least  effort  to  the  system. 
This  is 


44  GOOD  LIVING,” 

in  the  sense  in  which  the  title  of  this  book  is  used. 
This  44  good  living  ” must  have  for  its  precedent  a 
good  appetite,  and  must  be  followed  by  a good  di- 
gestion ; and  these  can  be  obtained,  in  all  attainable 
cases,  by 

AIR  AND  EXERCISE. 

The  consumption  of  a large  amount  of  out-door 
air,  and  the  employment  of  a large  amount  of  mus- 
cular activities  in  this  out-door  air,  are  the  great 
highways  to  a vigorous  appetite,  a good  digestion, 
high  health,  and  exemption  from  disease,  as  well  as 
to  the  cure  of  half  the  ordinary  maladies  of  human- 
ity. The  successive  steps  to  the 


EARTHLY  ELYSIUM 

of  vigorous  health  and  a long  life  are  air,  exer- 
cise, appetite,  and  digestion  of  good  food,  prepared 
m the  best  manner.  B#ut  as  to  recovery  from  dis- 
ease, this  book  will  be  read  in  vain,  unless  these 
steps  are  taken  in  their  proper  order ; and  it  is  here 


THE  GREAT  MISTAKE. 


227 


the  great  mistake  is  made  by  the  multitude.  Hence 
it  is  proposed  to  point  out  definitely  and  plainly  how 
a man  must  proceed  in  order  to  get  well  of 

Biliousness, 

Dyspepsia, 

Neuralgia, 

Nervousness, 

and  many  other  of  the  more  common  ailments,  by 
“good  living,”  instead  of  physic. 


CHAPTER  XY. 


REST. 

If  a man  is  sick,  and  feels  indisposed  to  exercise, 
he  will  generally  aggravate  the  disease,  and  protract 
its  cure,  if  he  persists  in  exercising.  For  example, 
in  diarrhoea,  dysentery,  and  cholera,  exercise  is  cer- 
tain death  ; and  a like  result  will  follow  in  many 
other  forms  of  disease,  when  instinct  calls  loudly 
for  repose.  A mere  indisposition  to  effort  is  another 
thing ; that  is  simply  laziness  ; and  to  distinguish  be- 
tween the  two,  it  is  only  necessary  to  observe  that 
if  the  weariness  is  increased  by  exercise,  if  every 
step  is  an  effort  and  a drag,  then  every  step  taken 
is  a positive  injury,  and  rest  in  bed  is  called  for.  ‘ If, 
on  the  other  hand,  a person  feels  better  for  the  exer- 
cise taken  in  moderation,  then  it  is  a clear  indication 
that  it  should  be  repeated,  leisurely  ; for  a while, 
increase  the  time ; then,  as  the  strength  increases, 
let  the  exercise  be  a little  more  active  ; in  this  way, 
feel  your  way  along,  and  be  on  the  safe  side. 

All  the  rest  of  an  invalid  should  be  taken  in  an 
atmosphere  which  enables  him  to  feel  comfortably 
warm  in  every  part  of  the  body.  Cold  air  is  not 
necessarily  pure,  nor  is  warm  air  necessarily  im- 
pure ; but  under  all  circumstances,  whether  of  rest 


WARMTH. 


229 


or  exercise,  there  should  not  be  a sensation  of  cold- 
ness for  an  instant  in  any  square  inch  of  the  whole 
person ; the  very  moment  the  very  slightest  feeling 
of  chilliness  is  felt  along  the  hack,  or  anywhere 
else,  very  considerable  harm  has  been  done,  and 
either  additional  clothing,  or  bed-cover,  or  fuel 
should  be  ordered. 

A USEFUL  LESSON 

may  be  taken,  in  this  connection,  from  the  animal 
creation.  The  dog,  if  ailing,  lies  down  ; there  is 
rest ; he  curls  himself  up  in  the  smallest  roll  possi- 
ble, with  his  paw  over  his  nose,  as  if  to  keep  out 
the  cold  air,  and  present  as  little  surface  to  the  at- 
mosphere as  can  well  be  done,  thus  endeavoring  to 
secure 

WARMTH. 

The  little  canary-bird,  in  its  sickness,  contracts 
itself  to  a ball,  and  hides  its  tiny  bill  under  its  wing, 
in  both  these  ways  seeking  to  promote  warmth  and 
keep  away  the  chill  of  death. 

Rest  and  warmth,  then,  must  be  given  to  the  sick, 
for  these  two  things  are  powerful  aids  in  recovering 
them  from  disease,  because  they  help  directly  in 
removing  from  the  body  the  bad,  and  waste,  and 
poisonous  matters  which  cause  its  sickness.  The 
warmth  liquefies  the  solids,  then  converts  them  into 
gases,  in  which  form  they  pass  out  of  the  body 
through  the  breath,  the  insensible  perspiration,  and 
the  urine,  from  one  to  two,  or  three,  or  more  pounds 
hi  twenty-four  hours.  Out-door  exercise  and  mus- 


230 


REST. 


cular  activities  have  been  insisted  upon  in  the  pre- 
vious pages  as  important  elements  in  the  cure  of 
disease,  because  muscular  motion  is  essential  toward 
working  bad,  diseased,  and  foreign  matters  out  of 
the  system,  and  this  is  true  in  its  fullest,  widest  ex- 
tent ; but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  there  are  two 
forms  of  muscular  activities,  — voluntary,  as  when 
we  move  the  hand  or  foot,  and  involuntary,  such  as 
are  beyond  our  control,  yet  are  ceaselessly  in  opera- 
tion. The  heart,  for  example,  beats  always,  beats 
ever  ; the  stomach,  the  alimentary  canal  in  its  entire 
length  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet,  and  the  whole 
glandular  economy,  all  are  at  work  busier  than  the 
busiest  bee  ; so  that  while  we  are  lying  still  in  bed, 
there  is  busy  motion  in  every  part  of  the  machinery 
of  man,  to  the  extent  of  pushing  outside  of  the 
body  one  or  more  pounds  of  waste,  foreign,  or  other- 
wise injurious  matter.  There  are  circumstances 
in  which  the  body,  although  in  comparative  rest, 
may  throw  off  a much  larger  amount  of  its  sub- 
stance in  twenty-four  hours,  as  will  be  shown  by  the 
following 

TERRIBLE  NARRATION. 

In  August,  1868,  Captain  Job  R.  Rounseville,  in 
a whaling  voyage  in  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  was  ship- 
wrecked ; everything  eatable  was  washed  overboard. 
The  captain  and  four  of  the  crew  clung  to  the 
wreck  for  eight  days  without  food  or  water,  during 
which  the  thought  of  food  scarcely  entered  their 
minds,  fheir  burning  thirst  crowding  out  every  other 
sensation.  Each  tongue  was  swollen,  and  hung 


TERRIBLE  NARRATION. 


231 


within  the  mouth ; where  it  did  touch  the  roof  of 
the  mouth,  it  stuck  there,  then  scaled  off  in  large 
flakes ; when  a boat  from  a passing  vessel  at 
last  came  alongside,  they  could  but  slide  into  it 
helplessly.  Two  of  the  sailors  were  entirely  naked, 
and  had  been  for  a week,  and  the  whole  surface  of 
their  bodies  was  blistered ; they  were  the  merest 
skeletons.  The  captain,  who  weighed  before  the 
wreck  a hundred  and  ninety  pounds,  weighed  barely 
one  hundred,  having  lost  nearly  ninety  pounds  in 
eight  days,  or  eleven  pounds  a day,  without  any 
active  exercise,  beyond  that  of  clinging  to  the 
wreck.  They  were  so  weak  that  one  tea-spoonful 
of  brandy  at  a time  was  too  much  for  them.  On 
reaching  the  ship  they  became  unconscious,  and  re- 
mained so  for  two  days.  This  statement  shows  how 
much  the  human  system  may  throw  off  from  itself 
in  twenty-four  hours. 

When  instinct  prompts  rest,  it  is  a relative  term, 
meaning  the  rest  of  only  the  voluntary  muscles. 
When  this  wise  instinct  does  not  prompt  to  rest, 
but  seems  to  urge  voluntary  motion,  to  urge  the 
doing  of  something,  and  we  cannot  stay  in  bed,  are 
impatient  of  confinement  to  the  house,  then  the 
voluntary  activities  should  be  followed  out  wisely  to 
the  fullest  extent ; and  of  these,  the  more  deliberate 
are  best ; over-effort,  over-exertion,  exhaustive  ex- 
ercises and  labors,  and  strifes,  and  games,  especially 
those  of  a competitive  character,  are  not  the  best 
or  safest  in  recovery  from  disease  ; the  leisure  walk, 
the  moderate  work,  deliberate  lifting,  — these  are 
best. 


232 


REST. 


It  generally  happens  that  in  all  sickness  in  which 
the  person  feels  indisposed  to  exercise,  a day  or  two 
will  suffice  to  work  a change ; for  in  this  day  or 
two,  from  two  to  ten  pounds  have  been  pushed  out 
of  the  system.  We  call  it 

“ FALLING  OFF,” 

and  look  upon  it  with  undisguised  apprehension  ; 
it  is  a falling  away,  it  is  true,  but  it  is  simply,  in 
ordinary  cases,  a good  riddance  to  the  body  of  that 
much  bad  matter,  and  is  preparatory  towards  de- 
manding a replenishment  in  the  way  of  something 
good  to  eat ; and  this  is  precisely  the  explanation 
of  the  marvelous  recoveries  of  many  who  have 
been  left  to  die  out-of-doors,  from  murderous 
wounds  in  battle,  or  the  ruffianly  assaults  of  savages, 
or  attacks  of  ruthless  diseases,  and  help  was  no- 
where to  be  found.  In  many  cases  there  was  ina- 
bility to  move  for  hours  and  days,  during  which 
time  the  system  was  relieving  itself  of  its  oppres- 
sive loads,  by  the  involuntary  motions  of  its  in- 
ternal machinery  ; and  for  these  hours  and  days, 
many  times,  there  was  nothing  to  be  had  to  eat, 
even  had  there  been  an  appetite  ; but  after  a time, 
a load  having  been  removed  and  the  body  rested, 
without  nursing  and  without  food,  the  unfortunate 
begins  to  get  able  to  crawl  to  some  friendly  puddle 
or  spring  or  river’s  brink,  and  satisfies  his  thirst ; 
then  comes  the  hunger,  which  makes  leaves  and 
roots  taste  as  sweet  as  honey;  and  soon  he  is 
upon  his  feet  again,  and  enters  a human  habitation, 
and  is  regarded  as  one 


CHRONIC  DISEASES. 


233 


RISEN  FROM  THE  DEAD. 

We  have  only  to  follow  this  teaching  of  Nature, 
and  rid  ourselves  speedily  of  a large  share  of  hu- 
man sickness,  — thus  : keep  comfortably  warm,  take 
rest,  and  wait  until  hunger  comes  ; then  gratify 
the  appetite  wisely,  and  health  will  come,  our- 
selves almost  passive  the  mean  while ; then  we 
become  active,  to  the  extent  of  providing  such  good 
food  as  will  impart  its  strength  to  the  system  with 
the  least  expenditure  of  stomach  power.  It  will 
be  observed  that  in  the  application  of  the  theory  of 
46  health  by  good  living,”  there  is  a degree  of  pass- 
ivity in  the  treatment  of  acute  diseases,  — those 
which  last  but  for  a few  days ; that  in  these  there 
is  warmth,  rest,  and  a waiting  for  an  appetite, 
which  is  brought  about  by  involuntary  exercises 
or  activities,  and  which  are  constantly  in  operation, 
within  us  ; but  as  to 

CHRONIC  DISEASES, 

those  which  last  for  months  and  years,  continuously 
or  at  intervals,  such  as  the  principal  ones  named 
in  these  pages,  there  is  a similar  process  of  cure 
as  far  as  it  goes  ; the  wastes  and  impurities  must 
be  first  worked  out  of  the  body.  But  it  must  not 
be  left  to  the  involuntary  activities  to  do  this  ; the 
voluntary  must  be  added,  so  as  to  hasten  the  re- 
sult, that  we  may  get  rid  of  three  or  four  or  five 
pounds  of  waste  matter  in  a day  instead  of  one  or 
two,  and  thus  hasten  on  the  good  appetite  which  is  tc 


234 


REST. 


call  for  healthful  material,  which  is  to  take  the  place 
of  the  useless  and  diseased  matters  just  got  rid  of. 
At  this  very  point,  however,  the  great  difficulty 
comes  in  of  curing  disease  and  of  securing  44  health 
by  good  living.”  Men  are  not  only  unwilling  to 
take  the  systematic  out- door  exercises  requisite, 
but  they  are  unwilling  to  wait  for  the  appetite,  and 
actually  force  upon  the  weak  and  oppressed  and 
overburdened  system  one  or  two  pounds  of  food 
and  drink  at  each  meal,  before  nature  is  ready  to 
receive  it.  Some  have  decision  enough  to  take  the 
exercise,  but  have  not  the  steady  courage  to  wait 
for  the  appetite. 

A CURE. 

A lady  of  large  means,  cultivation,  and  social  po- 
sition was  attacked  with  severe  headache,  distress- 
ing nausea,  and  very  great  general  discomfort.  She 
had  strong  faith  in  the  virtue  of  fresh  air  and  out- 
door exercise  ; for  some  days  she  spent  a good  part 
of  the  time  in  the  open  air,  in  walking,  riding, 
shopping,  etc.,  not  only  without  any  benefit,  but 
with  increasing  discomfort.  Her  attention  was 
drawn  to  the  fact  that  she  was  eating  four  times  a 
day.  At  breakfast  or  dinner  she  would  take  the 
whole  breast  of  a four-pound  chicken,  or  the  tender- 
loin of  a porter-house  steak  of  equal  weight,  with 
other  things  in  proportion.  During  this  time  she 
had  no  craving  for  food,  yet  would  sit  down  to 
the  table  and  nibble  first  at  one  thing  and  then  at 
another,  managing  in  the  end  to  make  a good  meal. 
While  eating,  her  various  discomforts  were  abated 


A CURE. 


235 


or  disappeared  ; but  a while  afterwards  the  nausea, 
the  headache,  the  eructations,  and  other  discomforts, 
and,  not  the  least,  a distressing  nervousness  and 
restlessness,  returned  with  aggravations.  At  length 
spells  of  vomiting  came  on  of  nauseous,  bitter,  acid 
materials,  with  such  increasing  nervousness  that  she 
would  pass  a whole  night  with  only  very  transient 
snatches  of  unsatisfying  sleep,  and  her  days  were  as 
comfortless  as  her  nights,  falling  off  steadily,  with 
increasing  weakness.  She  had  a theory  that  her 
dyspeptic  symptoms  arose  from  taking  cold,  and 
there  was  no  difficulty  in  pointing  out  the  causes  of 
the  colds,  and  of  explaining  to  her  own  satisfaction 
how  the  colds  gave  indigestion,  by  acting  in  some 
unexplained  way  on  the  nerves  of  the  stomach  ; 
but  attributing  her  indigestion  to  colds,  instead  of  to 
the  fact  of  over-eating,  her  attention  was  directed 
to  avoiding  colds,  while  the  real  cause,  too  much 
food,  was  altogether  overlooked. 

On  the  day  above  named,  she  was  advised  and 
consented  to  take  for  breakfast  a cup  of  weak 
tea,  some  stale  bread,  and  some  good  butter  ; at 
noon  some  soup,  with  the  crust  of  stale  bread 
broken  into  it ; and  at  supper  a cup  of  tea,  and 
nothing  else,  — with  the  result  of  no  eructations,  a 
fair  night’s  sleep,  less  headache,  less  nausea,  and  a 
greater  ability  for  out-door  exercise.  On  the  third 
day  she  felt  so  much  better  that  she  thought  she 
might  safely  return  to  a more  liberal  diet,  with 
the  result  of  an  immediate  reappearance  of  all 
her  symptoms  ; her  eating  was  again  abated,  and 


236 


REST. 


on  the  fifth  day  there  was  but  a trace  of  the  original 
symptoms,  and  she  gradually  returned  to  her  usual 
health.  This  case  has  been  detailed  specifically  and 
at  length,  to  convince  the  reader  of  a single  fact  of 
considerable  practical  value,  that  while  this  lady  ate 
without  an  appetite,  and  ate  largely, 

TO  KEEP  UP  THE  STRENGTH, 

she  became  weaker  ; but  just  as  soon  as  she  began 
to  eat  less,  a little  soup  and  stale  bread  only,  through 
the  day,  she,  within  four  days,  was  able  to  walk  over 
two  miles ; to  be  out  four  hours  at  a time,  and  be 
all  the  better  for  it  the  next  day ; proving  that  a 
weak  stomach  will  derive  more  strength,  obtain 
more  nutriment,  from  a small  amount  of  food  than 
from  a large  amount ; derive  more  strength  from 
a diet  of  bread  and  soup  than  from  half  a pound 
or  more  of  porter-house  steak  or  poultry,  with  other 
things  in  proportion.  This  single  fact  should  be 
ever  present  to  the  invalid,  for  it  is  of  incalcula- 
ble practical  value.  This  lady  was  hungry  for  the 
soup.  She  ate  the  beefsteak  without  avidity.  The 
unsubstantial  soup  gave  more  strength  than  the 
solid  steak.  It  was  the  vigorous  appetite  which 
made  all  the  difference  ; hence,  in  endeavoring  to 
remove  the  symptoms  of  disease,  the  first  step  is  to 
get  the  appetite,  and  then  have  the  “ good  living,” 
as  the  more  direct  means  of  securing  permanent 
good  health.  The  soup  gave  strength,  which  en- 
abled the  patient  to  take  more  exercise  ; this  hast- 
ened the  removal  of  waste  and  hurtful  matters 


LEAVE  OFF  HUNGRY. 


237 


from  the  system,  and  thus  made  a large  supply 
necessary,  and  a stronger  appetite  for  this  increased 
supply. 

When  persons  are  recovering  from  sickness,  — 
and  this  is  applicable  to  all  invalids, — they  should 
cease  eating  before  the  appetite  is  satisfied  ; that  is, 

LEAVE  OFF  HUNGRY. 

This  is  imperative.  Those  who  are  in  perfect 
health,  and  lead  an  active  life,  may  eat  as  much  as 
they  want  at  regular  meals,  if  they  eat  very  slowly  ; 
but  such  a practice  is  exceedingly  hurtful  to  those 
who  have  not  good  health,  especially  to  the  dyspep- 
tic. The  sum  of  the  argument  of  this  book  is  sim- 
ply this : — 

In  all  ordinary  sickness  the  system  is  oppressed 
by  the  presence  of  hurtful  matters  within  itself. 

These  matters  are  worked  out  of  the  system  by 
the  internal  involuntary  and  the  external  voluntary 
motions  or  exercises  of  the  individual,  to  the  extent 
of  from  two  to  ten  pounds  a day.  When  these 
matters  are  thus  worked  off,  there  arises  within 
us  an  instinctive  desire  for  food,  as  a means  of  re- 
placing this  loss,  which  desire  is  called  appetite. 
This  food  must  not  be  supplied  until  thus  called 
for  decidedly  by  the  sensation  of  hunger.  This 
feeling  must  be  gratified  by  eating  substantial,  nour- 
ishing food.  When  hunger  is  appeased,  interest- 
ing, pleasurable,  remunerative  employment  in  the 
open  air  should  be  taken  after  each  meal,  to  the  ex- 
tent of  digesting  it  fully,  and  as  a means  of  causing 
hunger  for  another  meal. 


238 


REST. 


These  things,  persevered  in  with  reasonable 
fidelity  and  judgment,  will  cure  all  curable  dis- 
eases in  a time  proportioned  to  the  hold  they 
have  taken  on  the  system  and  the  ravages  they 
have  made : the  requirements  being  to  work  waste, 
foreign,  useless,  and  hurtful  matters  out  of  the 
system,  by  patiently  waiting  for  the  involuntary 
motions  of  the  system  to  do  it,  or  in  appropriate 
cases  to  hasten  the  result  by  voluntary  exercise  ; 
and  when  in  due  time  this  is  accomplished,  and 
Nature  indicates  her  desire  for  food  by  the  sense  of 
hunger,  that  she  is  ready  to  take  food  as  a means 
of  replacing  with  healthful,  nutritious  matter  the 
particles  which  have  been  removed,  we  must  eat 
thrice  a day,  at  not  less  than  five  hours’  interval,  as 
a general  rule,  a moderate  amount  of  substantial, 
nourishing  food,  well  prepared,  cut  up  in  pea-sized 
pieces,  to  be  chewed  and  swallowed  with  delibera- 
tion in  a cheerful  frame  of  mind,  leaving  off  while 
yet  hungry  ; preferring  those  articles  which  are  most 
relished,  and  which  are  not  followed  by  any  bodily 
discomfort  or  symptom  whatever,  with  the  under- 
standing that  the  last  meal  of  the  day  should  be 
about  sunset,  and  should  be  made  of  a cup  of  warm 
drink  with  the  crust  of  stale  bread,  or  bran,  ox 
brown  bread,  if  it  can  be  eaten  without  subsequent 
iiscomfort. 

The  breakfast  and  the  dinner  should  be  made  of 
any  kind  of  meat,  fish,  or  poultry,  with  cold  stale 
bread  and  butter,  and  a cup  of  warm  drink.  At  din- 
ner a single  vegetable  may  be  added,  a different  one 


LEAVE  OFF  HUNGRY. 


239 


every  day  or  two,  and  no  dessert ; it  would  be  better 
if  some  good  hot,  well-seasoned  soup  should  precede 
each  dinner.  After  breakfast  exercise  should  be 
taken  in  the  open  air  to  digest  the  food  perfectly,  and 
be  continued  until  a good  appetite  is  obtained  for 
dinner ; there  should  be  some  rest  between  the  ex- 
ercise and  the  dinner.  After  dinner  quietude  for 
half  an  hour  or  more  should  be  observed  as  to  the 
body,  exhilaration  and  joyousness  as  to  the  mind; 
then  exercise  should  follow,  deliberate  for  the  first 
half-hour,  and  continued  until  moderately  tired ; 
then  rest  in  a room  comfortably  warm  until  an  early 
tea.  Then,  if  possible,  go  somewhere  for  mental 
exhilaration  or  social  enjoyment,  remembering  that 
night  air  out-of-doors  is  purer  and  better  than  any 
in-door  air,  an  hour  after  sunset,  — the  only  precau- 
tion needed  being  to  keep  in  motion  with  sufficient 
activity  to  keep  off  a feeling  of  chilliness.  As  the 
strength  increases,  so  should  the  amount  of  food 
taken,  and  the  exercise  in  vigor  and  duration  until 
the  health  is  entirely  restored  ; and  then  remember 
that  the  means  which  have  made  you  well  will 
keep  you  well. 

The  sole  object  of  want  of  variety  of  food  in  the 
meals  proposed  is  to  aid  the  person  to  resist  eating 
too  much ; for  the  greater  the  variety,  the  more  are 
we  tempted  to  take,  — just  as  the  unexpected  ap- 
pearance of  a favorite  dish  after  a good  dinner,  and 
when  we  felt  that  we  had  eaten  enough  and  did 
not  want  any  more,  too  often  tempts  us  to  make 
almost  another  meal  of  it. 


APPENDIX, 


No.  I.  — DIGESTIBILITY  OE  FOOD. 

IN  ALPHABETICAL  ORDER. 


Name. 

Mode  of 
Preparation. 

Time  of 
Digestion 

H.  M. 

Aponeurosis  (gristle) 

Boiled 

3 30 

Apples,  mellow 

Raw 

2 50 

Apples,  sour,  hard 

Raw 

2 50 

Apples,  sweet  and  mellow 

Raw 

1 50 

Barley 

Boiled 

2 00 

Bass,  striped 

Broiled 

3 00 

Beans,  pod  

Boiled 

2 30 

Beans,  with  green  corn  .... 

Boiled 

3 45 

Beef  

Roasted 

3 00 

Beefsteak 

Broiled 

3 00 

Beef,  old,  salted 

Boiled 

4 15 

Beets  ....... 

Boiled 

3 45 

Brains,  animal 

Boiled 

1 45 

Bread,  corn 

Baked 

3 15 

Bread,  wheat 

Baked 

3 30 

Butter 

Melted 

3 30 

Cabbage  

Raw 

2 30 

Cabbage  and  vinegar  .... 

Raw 

2 00 

Cabbage  

Boiled 

4 30 

Carrot  ....... 

Boiled 

3 15 

Cartilage  (gristle) 

Boiled 

4 15 

Catfish  ...  ... 

Dried 

3 30 

Cheese,  old 

Raw 

3 30 

Chicken 

Ericasseed 

3 45 

Codfish,  dry 

Boiled 

2 00 

Corn  cake 

Baked 

3 00 

Corn,  green,  and  beans  .... 

Boiled 

3 45 

Custard 

Baked 

2 45 

Duck,  tame 

Roasted 

4 00 

Duck,  wild 

Roasted 

4 50 

Dumpling,  apple 

Boiled 

3 00 

Eggs,  hard 

Boiled 

3 30 

Eggs,  soft 

Boiled 

3 00 

Eggs 

Fried 

3 30 

16 


242 


APPENDIX, 


Name. 

Mode  of 
Preparation. 

Time  ol 
Digestioi 

H.  M. 

Eggs 

Roasted 

2 15 

Eggs  ...  ... 

Raw 

2 00 

Eggs 

Whipped 

1 30 

Flounders  ...... 

Fried 

2 30 

Fowls,  roasted  or 

Boiled 

4 00 

Gelatine  ....... 

Boiled 

2 30 

Goose,  wild 

Roasted 

2 30 

Heart,  animal 

F ried 

4 00 

Lamb  

Boiled 

2 30 

Liver  ....  ... 

Boiled 

2 00 

Marrow 

Boiled 

2 40 

Meat  and  vegetables  .... 

Hashed 

2 30 

Milk 

Raw 

2 15 

Milk 

Boiled 

2 00 

Mutton 

Roast 

3 15 

Mutton,  broiled  or 

Boiled 

3 00 

Oysters 

Raw 

2 55 

Oysters 

Roasted 

3 15 

Oysters 

Stewed 

3 30 

Parsnips  ...... 

Boiled 

2 30 

Pig 

Roasted 

2 30 

Pigs'  feet 

Soused 

1 00 

Pork 

Roast 

5 15 

Pork 

Boiled 

4 30 

Pork,  raw  or 

Fried 

4 15 

Pork 

Broiled 

3 15 

Pork 

Stewed 

3 00 

Potatoes 

Boiled 

3 30 

Potatoes  ....  • 

Baked 

3 30 

Potatoes  .... 

Roasted 

2 3G 

llice 

Boiled 

1 00 

Salmon,  fresh 

Boiled 

1 45 

Sausage 

Fried 

4 00 

Soup,  barley  ...... 

Boiled 

1 30 

Soup,  bean 

Boiled 

3 00 

Soup,  beef  and  vegetables .... 

Boiled 

4 00 

Soup,  ehicken 

Boiled 

3 00 

Soup,  marrow  bones  .... 

Boiled 

5 00 

Soup,  oysters  or  mutton  .... 

Boiled 

3 30 

Suet,  beef  

Boiled 

5 30 

Tapioca 

Boiled 

2 00 

Tendon  

Boiled 

5 30 

Tripe  . . 

Fried 

1 30 

Tripe 

Soused 

1 00 

Trout  and  salmon 

Boiled 

1 00 

Turkey,  boiled  or 

Roasted 

2 30 

Turnips 

Boiled 

3 30 

APPENDIX, 


243 


Name. 

Mode  of 
Preparation. 

Time  of 
Digestion 

Veal 

Broiled 

H.  M. 

4 00 

Veal 

Fried 

4 30 

Vegetables  and  meat 

Warmed 

3 30 

Venison  steak 

Broiled 

1 35 

No.  II.—  DIGESTIBILITY  OF  FOOD. 

IN  ORDER  OF  TIME. 

The  following  table  of  the  digestibility  of  the  most 
common  articles  of  food,  prepared  from  standard  author- 
ities, is  approximately  correct,  and  is  of  very  general 
practical  interest : — 


Quality. 

Preparation. 

Time  of 
Digestion. 

Cole  slaw 

Rice 

Boiled 

H.  M. 
1 00 
1 00 

Pigs'  feet,  soused 

Boiled 

1 00 

Tripe,  soused 

Boiled 

1 00 

Eggs,  whipped 

Raw 

1 30 

Trout,  salmon,  fresh 

Boiled 

1 30 

Trout,  salmon,  fresh  .... 

Fried 

1 30 

Soup,  barley 

Boiled 

1 30 

Apples,  sweet,  mellow  .... 

Raw 

1 30 

Venison  steak  ...... 

Broiled 

1 35 

Brains,  animal 

Boiled 

1 45 

Sago 

Boiled 

1 45 

Tapioca 

Boiled 

2 00 

Barley 

Boiled 

2 00 

Milk 

Boiled 

2 00 

Liver,  beefs,  fresh 

Broiled 

2 00 

Eggs,  fresh 

Raw 

2 00 

Codfish,  cured  dry 

Boiled 

2 00 

Apples,  sour,  mellow  .... 

Raw 

2 00 

Cabbage,  with  vinegar  .... 

Raw 

2 00 

Milk 

Raw 

2 15 

Eggs,  fresh 

Roasted 

2 15 

Turkey,  wild 

Roasted 

2 IS 

Turkey,  domestic 

Boiled 

2 25 

Gelatine 

Boiled 

2 25 

Turkey,  domestic 

Roasted 

2 30 

244 


APPENDIX. 


Quality. 

Preparation. 

Time  of 
Digestion 

H.  M. 

Goose,  wild 

Roasted 

2 30 

Pig,  sucking  ...... 

Roasted 

2 30 

Lamb,  fresh  ...... 

Broiled 

2 30 

Hash,  meat  and  vegetables  .... 

Warmed 

2 30 

Beans,  pod 

Boiled 

2 30 

Cake,  sponge 

Baked 

2 30 

Parsnips 

Boiled 

2 30 

Potatoes,  Irish 

Roasted 

2 30 

Cabbage,  head  ..... 

Raw 

2 30 

Spinal  marrow,  animal  .... 

Boiled 

2 40 

Chicken,  full  grown  .... 

Fricasseed 

2 45 

Custard 

Baked 

2 45 

Beef,  with  salt  only  .... 

Boiled 

2 45 

Apples,  sour,  hard 

Raw 

2 50 

Oysters,  fresh 

Raw 

2 55 

Eggs,  fresh 

Soft  boiled 

3 00 

Bass,  striped,  fresh 

Broiled 

3 00 

Beef,  fresh,  lean,  rare 

Roasted 

3 00 

Pork,  recently  salted  .... 

Stewed 

3 00 

Mutton,  fresh 

Broiled 

3 00 

Soup 

Boiled 

3 00 

Chicken  soup 

Boiled 

3 00 

Aponeurosis  ...... 

Boiled 

3 00 

Dumpling,  apple 

Boiled 

3 00 

Cake,  corn 

Baked 

3 00 

Oysters,  fresh 

Roasted 

3 15 

Pork  steak  

Broiled 

3 15 

Mutton,  fresh 

Roasted 

3 15 

Bread,  corn 

Baked 

3 15 

Carrot,  orange 

Boiled 

3 15 

Sausage,  fresh 

Broiled 

3 30 

Flounder,  fresh 

Fried 

3 30 

Catfish,  fresh 

Fried 

3 30 

Oysters,  fresh 

Stewed 

3 30 

Butter 

Melted 

3 30 

Cheese,  old,  strong 

Raw 

3 30 

Soup,  mutton  

Boiled 

3 30 

Oyster  soup 

Boiled 

3 30 

Bread,  wheat,  fresh 

Baked 

3 30 

Turnips,  flat  . . ... 

Boiled 

3 30 

Potatoes,  Irish 

Boiled 

3 30 

Eggs,  fresh 

H’d  boiled- 

3 30 

Green  corn  and  beans  .... 

Boiled 

3 45 

Beets 

Boiled 

3 45 

Salmon,  salted 

Boiled 

4 00 

Beef  . 

Fried 

4 00 

Veal,  fresh  [Broiled 

4 00 

APPENDIX. 


245 


Quality. 

Preparation. 

Time  of 
Digestion 

H.  M. 

Fowls,  domestic  . 

Roasted 

4 00 

Soup,  beef,  vegetables,  and  bread 

Boiled 

4 00 

Heart,  animal 

Fried 

4 00 

Beef,  old,  hard,  salted 

Boiled 

4 15 

Soup,  marrow-bones  . 

Boiled 

4 15 

Cartilage  .... 

Boiled 

4 15 

Pork,  recently  salted  . 

Boiled 

4 30 

Veal,  fresh 

Fried 

4 30 

Ducks,  wild 

Roasted 

4 30 

Suet,  mutton  . 

Boiled 

4 30 

Cabbage  . 

Boiled 

4 30 

Pork,  fat  and  lean 

Roasted 

5 15 

Tendon  . 

Boiled 

5 30 

Suet,  beef,  fresh 

. 

Boiled 

5 30 

No.  III.  — NUTRITIOUSNESS  OF  FOOD. 

The  following  table  from  authentic  sources  shows 
the  ascertained  percentage  of  nutriment  in  the  com- 
mon articles  of  table  consumption.  Boiled  rice  being 
the  easiest  of  digestion,  because  the  quickest,  is  marked 
ten  ; boiled  cabbage  is  two ; roast  pork,  boiled  tendon, 
and  beef-suet,  requiring  five  and  a half  hours  to  be 
digested,  would  be  one,  or  the  lowest  grade  of  digesti- 
bility. One  important  practical  bearing  of  the  table  is 
that  the  most  nutritious  food  should  be  eaten,  as  boiled 
rice,  when  the  bowels  are  loose  ; but  when  constipated, 
that  which  has  most  waste  should  be  eaten,  as  boiled 
turnips,  because  the  more  waste,  the  greater  is  the  ac- 
cumulation of  this  waste  in  the  lower  bowel,  which  acts 
in  proportion  as  it  is  distended  by  such  accumulation. 


246 


APPENDIX. 


Kind  of  Food. 

Preparation. 

Per  cent,  of 
Nutriment. 

Time  of 
Digestion. 

Almonds 

Raw 

66 

H.  M. 

Apples 

Raw 

10 

1 30 

Apricots 

Raw 

26 

_ _ 

Barley 

Boiled 

92 

2 00 

Beans,  dry 

Boiled 

87 

2 30 

Beef 

Roast 

26 

3 30 

Blood. 

_ 

22 

Bread 

Baked 

80  - 

3 30 

Cabbage  

Boiled 

7 

4 30 

Carrots 

Boiled 

10 

3 15 

Cherries 

Raw 

25 

2 00 

Chickens 

Fricasseed 

27 

2 45 

Codfish 

Boiled 

21 

2 00 

Cucumbers 

Raw 

2 

_ _ 

Eggs 

Whipped 

13 

1 30 

Flour,  bolted 

In  bread 

21 

- _ 

Flour,  unbolted 

In  bread 

35 

- _ 

Gooseberries 

Raw 

19 

2 00 

Grapes 

Raw 

27 

2 30 

Haddock 

Boiled 

18 

2 30 

Melons 

Raw 

3 

2 00 

Milk 

Raw 

7 

2 15 

Mutton 

Roast 

30 

3 15 

Oatmeal 

Baked 

74 

3 30 

Oils 

Raw 

96 

3 30 

Pease,  dry 

Boiled 

93 

2 30 

Peaches  

Raw 

20 

2 00 

Pears 

Raw 

10 

3 30 

Plums 

Raw 

29 

2 30 

Pork 

Roast 

21 

5 15 

Potatoes 

Boiled 

13 

2 30 

Rice 

Boiled 

88 

1 00 

Rye  flour 

Baked 

79 

3 30 

Sole 

Fried 

21 

3 00 

Soup,  barley 

Boiled 

20 

1 30 

Strawberries 

Raw 

12 

2 00 

Turnips 

Boiled 

4 

3 30 

Veal 

Fried 

25 

4 30 

Venison 

Broiled 

22 

1 30 

Wheat  bread 

Baked 

95 

3 30 

Ease  of 
Digestion. 


5 

5 

4 
3 

3 

2 

3 

5 

4 

5 

7 


APPENDIX. 


247 


No.  IV.  — ELEMENTS  OF  FOOD. 

The  ultimate  ingredients  of  all  food  are  carbon  to 
warm,  and  nitrogen  to  make  flesh.  Some  have  no  car- 
bon, others  no  nitrogen  ; some  have  both  in  varying  pro- 
portions ; all  have  water  or  waste  from  five  to  ninety  per 
cent.  The  table  below  is  the  result  of  the  researches 
of  the  ablest  chemists  of  the  age.  The  amount  of  solid 
matter  in  an  article  of  food  does  not  mean  that  amount 
of  nutriment ; for  a portion  of  it  may  be  woody  fibre,  or 
waste,  or  lime,  chalk,  iron,  or  other  mineral.  The 
cipher  indicates  that  not  one  per  cent,  of  the  element 
is  found ; n.  a.,  not  ascertained  ; blanks  mean  no  pub- 
lished or  reliable  statements  have  been  made.  The 
more  water,  the  more  waste  ; for  even  woody  fibre  and 
iron  have  their  essential  uses  in  the  system.  This  and 
other  food  tables  in  this  volume  should  be  regarded  as 
merely  approximative  ; they  are  not  so  much  intended 
to  live  by  as  for  guidance  in  diseased  conditions.  For 
example,  if  constipated,  it  is  better  to  use  rough  food, 
such  as  has  much  waste  and  little  nutriment,  as  fruits, 
berries,  and  the  like  ; concentrated  food,  as  boiled  rice, 
is  best  for  loose  bowels ; sirups,  and  oils,  and  milk 
cause  biliousness  and  fevers ; sours,  as  berries,  fruits, 
and  cole  slaw,  cure  fevers.  It  is  safer,  however,  espe- 
cially in  health,  to  eat  by  instinct  rather  than  by  rules 
or  scientific  tables. 


In  100  parts  of,  there  is  per 
centage  of 

Solid 

Matter. 

Water. 

Arabic,  gum 

88 

12 

Artichokes 

28 

80 

Apricots 

25 

75 

Arrowroot 

82 

18 

Almond  oil 

100 

0 

Butter 

83 

17 

Bread  

68 

32 

248 


APPENDIX, 


In  100  parts  of,  there  is  per- 
centage of 

Solid 

Matter. 

Water. 

Beans 

87 

14 

Blood 

20 

80 

Beef,  fresh 

25 

75 

Beef  tea 

2 

98 

Cabbage 

8 

92 

Carrots 

12 

88 

Cherries 

25 

75 

Cucumbers 

3 

97 

Candy  

90 

10 

Egg,  white  of 

20 

80 

Egg,  yelk 

46 

54 

Fish,  average 

20 

80 

Figs 

84 

16 

Gooseberries 

18 

81 

Hogs’  lard 

100 

0 

Isinglass 

92 

7 

Leguminous  seeds 

0 

0 

Lentils 

84 

16 

Manna 

- 

40 

Mutton  suet 

100 

- 

Milk  of  cow 

13 

87 

Milk  of  ass 

8 

92 

Milk  of  goat 

13 

86 

Olive  oil 

100 

- 

Oats  

79 

21 

Oatmeal 

83 

7 

Oysters 

13 

87 

Pease 

84 

16 

Potatoes 

24 

76 

Peaches 

20 

80 

Pears 

16 

84 

Poultry 

23 

77 

Rye 

83 

17 

Sugar,  average 

- 

- 

Starch,  average 

84 

16 

Wheat 

86 

14 

No.  Y.  — WARMTH  AND  STRENGTH. 

All  food  contains  nitrogen,  the  element  which  supplies 
‘ muscle,”  flesh,  strength,  and  carbon,  giving  warmth ; 
some  articles  contain  both  in  various  proportions.  The 
colder  the  weather,  the  more  carbonized  food  do  we 


APPENDIX. 


249 


require.  Pure  alcohol  is  almost  wholly  carbon,  and  all 
alcoholic  drinks  are  proportionately  so,  beer  having  only 
five  per  cent,  of  alcohol ; but,  having  no  nitrogen,  they 
cannot  add  a single  particle  of  flesh  to  the  system,  and 
consequently  not  one  particle  of  strength,  of  power  to 
labor.  A man  feels  stronger  after  taking  a drink  ol 
spirits,  but  it  is  not  added  strength  ; it  is  only  strength 
preternaturally  drawn  in  advance  from  the  store  on 
hand  for  current  use,  the  nervous  system  having  been 
stimulated  to  make  that  draught  by  the  influence  which 
the  alcohol  had  upon  it ; but  when  the  system  comes  to 
use  the  strength  naturally  prepared  for  it,  and  finds  it 
has  been  already  appropriated,  it  “ sinks”  under  the 
disappointment,  so  to  speak,  to  a depth  proportioned  to 
the  strength  or  quantity  of  the  alcohol  used.  The  sink- 
ing experienced  in  delirium  tremens  is  precisely  of  this 
nature,  and  is  almost  too  horrible  to  be  borne.  All 
know  that  when  the  liquor  “ dies  ” within  a man,  he  is 
as  weak  and  powerless  as  a new-born  infant,  and  this 
comes  upon  him  suddenly.  On  the  other  hand,  food 
and  drink,  which  contain  nitrogen,  give  flesh,  create  the 
power  to  labor ; and  the  strength  which  is  thus  added 
is  for  current  use,  is  substantial  and  enduring.  Hence 
alcohol  is  not  a true  tonic,  has  no  really  valuable  medi- 
cinal or  curative  virtue  in  any  malady  known  to  man. 


Kind  of  Food. 

Carbon,  or 
Warmth 
Producer. 

Nitrogen, 
or  Flesh 
Producer. 

Artichokes  . 

9 

_ 

Arrowroot 

. 

82 

- 

Almond  oil  . 

, . 

77 

- 

Apples 

. 

45 

- 

Bread,  wheat 

# . 

. 

52 

8 

Buttermilk 

. . 

7 

4 

Beef,  lean 

# , 

19 

4 

Beef,  fat  . 

# . 

30 

15 

Bacon,  green 

, , 

, , 

67 

7 

Bacon,  dried 

• 

73 

9 

250 


APPENDIX, 


Kind  of  Food. 

Carbon,  or 
Warmth 
Producer. 

Nitrogen, 
or  Flesh 
Producer. 

Butter  and  oils 

83 

_ 

Beer  and  porter  .... 

9 

1 

Beans  

37 

— 

Blood 

10 

3 

Carrots 

22 

2 

Cream 

30 

3 

Cheddar  cheese 

31 

28 

Cheese,  common  .... 

6 

45 

Candy  

43 

- 

Eels 

14 

10 

Eggs,  entire 

10 

14 

Eggs,  white 

- 

20 

Eggs,  yelk 

16 

30 

Fish 

3 

18 

Gum  Arabic 

36 

- 

Hog's  lard 

79 

- 

Leguminous  Seeds  .... 

37 

- 

Lentils  ...... 

37 

- 

Molasses 

77 

- 

Meal  (Indian),  corn  .... 

77 

11 

Meal,  barley  . . 

77 

6 

Meal,  rye 

75 

8 

Meal,  oat 

69 

13 

Meal,  wheat  or  flour 

72 

10 

Milk,  new 

9 

4 

Mutton  suet 

77 

— 

Mutton,  lean 

18 

5 

Mutton,  fat 

31 

12 

Olive  oil 

77 

- 

Oats 

40 

2 

Oysters 

36 

- 

Ox  liver 

4 

19 

Pease  . / 

59 

23 

Potatoes  .... 

22 

2 

Parsnips 

16 

1 

Pork 

49 

10 

Poultry 

4 

21 

Rice 

80 

6 

Ry  e.  ...... 

39 

2 

Starch 

36 

- 

Sugar 

95 

- 

Salmon 

6 

16 

Tripe 

16 

13 

Turnips  . .... 

7 

1 

V"  eal  ...... 

16 

17 

APPENDIX. 


251 


No.  VI.  — MILK. 

Perfect  food  is  prepared  for  the  young  of  animals 
and  man  ; hence  in  milk  and  the  egg  are  found  all  the 
elements  necessary  for  growth  and  support.  In  ten 
pounds  of  milk  there  are  of  — 

Water 8^  pounds. 

Caseine  or  cheese  ....  t5xf  pound. 

Sugar 5*y  pound. 

Butter fo  pound. 

Lime,  etc ^ pound. 

Goats'  milk,  80  parts  caseine,  40  sugar,  40  butter. 

Cows'  milk,  63  parts  caseine,  28  sugar,  40  butter. 

Human  milk,  32  parts  caseine,  26  sugar,  29  butter. 

Butter  and  sugar  warm  the  system  ; the  caseine,  rep- 
resenting the  cheesy  portion  of  milk,  supplies  strength 
and  repairs  the  waste ; hence  the  young  of  animals,  be- 
ing obliged  to  use  their  limbs  so  much  earlier  than 
children,  must  have  more  caseine  to  repair  the  greater 
waste  made  by  the  necessity  of  a greater  amount  of 
effort  needed  for  their  out-door  life  and  various  neces- 
sities peculiar  to  their  state  and  condition. 

No.  VII. 

In  the  following  table  is  given  the  proportion  of  nu- 
triment and  the  proportion  of  fuel  in  a given  quantity 
of  food:  — 

Milk  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  2 of  fuel. 

Beans  contain  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  2j  of  fuel. 

Oatmeal  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  5 of  fuel. 

Barley  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  7 of  fuel. 

Wheat  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  8 of  fuel. 

Potatoes  contain  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  9 of  fuel. 

Rice  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  10  of  fuel 


252 


APPENDIX. 


Arrowroot  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  26  of  fuel. 

Tapioca  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  26  of  fuel. 

Sago  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  26  of  fuel. 

Starch  contains  one  proportion  of  nutriment,  40  of  fuel. 

The  last  named  articles  are  given  to  young  children, 
because  they  require  a great  deal  of  warmth.  But  they 
need  more  than  warmth ; if  fed  on  these  alone,  they 
would  soon  die ; hence  milk  must  be  added  to  these,  as 
it  contains  materials  for  growth  and  repair. 

No.  VIII. 

If  human  milk  be  considered  as  having  100  of  nutri- 
tive equivalents,  — 


VEGETABLES  DRIED. 

Haricots 

283 

Beans 

. 320 

Rice  will  have  . 

81 

Potatoes 

84 

ANIMAL  FOOD. 

Maize 

100 

Rye  .... 

106 

Human  milk  . 

100 

Radish 

106 

Cows'  milk  . 

, 237 

Wheat 

119 

Yelk  of  eggs 

305 

Barley 

125 

Oysters 

. 305 

Oats  .... 

138 

Cheese 

331 

White  bread 

142 

Eel 

. 434 

Black  bread . 

166 

Mussell  . • 

528 

Pease 

239 

Beef  liver  . 

. 570 

Lentils  .... 

276 

Pigeon  . 

756 

Mutton 

. 773 

A nation,  as  well  as 

the  individual,  should  know  how 

to  use  its  food  economically.  This  table  is  suggestive 
in  that  direction ; and  it  will  interest  the  reader  to  com- 
pare the  amount  of  nutriment  contained  in  the  different 
articles  above  named,  making  human  milk  the  starting- 
point  ; thus  a pound  of  mutton  contains  nearly  as  much 
nourishment  as  eight  pounds  of  milk.  The  muscular 
strength  of  a nation  depends  upon  the  proper  use 
and  proportions  of  the  various  kinds  of  food  eaten  ; and 
it  has  been  well  said  that  the  political  influence  of  a 


APPENDIX. 


253 


nation  is  as  much  dependent  upon  the  muscular  strength 
of  the  people  as  upon  their  intelligence  and  commercial 
activity.  Englishmen  and  roast  beef  are  synonyms ; 
and  for  centuries  past  the  English  nation  has  been  the 
most  powerful,  the  most  influential  nation  on  the  globe  ; 
a long-lived,  intellectual,  and  powerful  race,  as  to  the 
individuals  composing  it,  founded  on  vigorous  “ health  ” 
as  a result  of  “ good  living.”  The  preceding  table  is 
only  to  be  used  for  comparative  purposes,  as  approxima- 
tive, because  other  practical  considerations  would  modify 
the  result  in  any  given  case.  But  a table  has  been  pre- 
pared by  Dr.  Letheby,  one  of  the  most  eminent  men  in 
the  medical  profession  in  Great  Britain,  and  was  com- 
municated to  the  Society  of  Arts  in  one  of  the  “ Cantor 
Lectures,”  and  may  be  considered  as  authentic.  To 
prepare  such  a table  has  required  an  immense  amount 
of  labor  and  research  ; it  will  be  of  permanent  scientific 
and  practical  value,  and  reflects  great  credit  on  the  in- 
defatigable investigator. 


254 


APPENDIX, 


No.  IX.  —NUTRITIVE  VALUES  OE  FOOD. 


| Water. 

Albumen,  etc. 

Starch,  etc. 

Sugar. 

"«S 

Ph 

Salts. 

Total  pe 

& 

bfl 

£ a 

Carbona-  g 
ceous.  P 

Carbonaceous 
to  one 

Nitrogenous. 

Bread 

37 

8.1 

47.4 

3.6 

1.6 

2.3 

8.1 

52.6 

6.5 

Wheat  flour. . . 

15 

10.8 

66.3 

4.2 

2.0 

1.7 

10.8 

72.5 

6.7 

Barley  meal. . . 

15 

6.3 

69.4 

4.9 

2.4 

2.0 

6.3 

76.7 

12.2 

Oatmeal 

15 

12.6 

58.4 

5.4 

5.6 

3.0 

12.6 

69.4 

5.5 

Rye  meal 

15 

8.0 

69.5 

3.7 

2.0 

1.8 

8.0 

75.2 

9.4 

Indian  meal.  . 

14 

11.1 

64.7 

0.4 

8.1 

1.7 

11.1 

73.2 

6.6 

Rice 

13 

6.3 

79.1 

0.4 

0.7 

0.5 

6.3 

80.2 

12.7 

Pease 

15 

23.0 

55.4 

2.0 

' 2.1 

2.5 

23.0 

59.0 

2.5 

Arrowroot. . . . 

18 

- 

82.0 

- 

- 

- 

_ 

82.0 

- 

Potatoes 

75 

2.1 

18.8 

3.2 

0.2 

0.7 

2.1 

22.2 

10.6 

Carrots 

83 

1.3 

8.4 

6.1 

0.2 

1.0 

1.3 

14.7 

11.2 

Parsnips 

82 

1.1 

9.6 

5.8 

0.5 

1.0 

1.1 

15.9 

14.5 

Turnips 

91 

1.2 

5.1 

2.1 

- . 

0.6 

1.2 

7.2 

6.0 

Sugar 

5 

- 

- 

95  0 

- 

- 

- 

95.0 

- 

Treacle 

23 

- 

— 

77.0 

— 

- 

_ 

77.0 

- 

New  milk 

86 

4.1 

- 

5.2 

3.9 

0.8 

4.1 

9.1 

2.2 

Cream 

66 

2.7 

- 

2.8 

26.7 

1.8 

2.7 

29.5 

10.9 

Skim  milk  .... 

88 

4.0 

— 

5.4 

1.8 

0.8 

4.0 

7.2 

1.8 

Buttermilk  . . . 

88 

4.1 

- 

6.4 

0.7 

0.8 

4.1 

7.1 

1.7 

Cheddar  cheese 

36 

28.4 

- 

_ 

31.1 

4.5 

28.4 

31.1 

1.1 

Skim  cheese. . . 

44 

44.8 

- 

- 

6.3 

4.9 

44.8 

6.3 

0.1 

Lean  beef 

72 

19.3 

- 

- 

3.6 

5.1 

19.3 

3.6 

0.2 

Fat  beef 

51 

14.8 

- 

- 

29.8 

4.4 

14.8 

29.8 

2.0 

Lean  mutton. . 

72 

18.3 

- 

- 

4.9 

4.8 

18.3 

4.9 

0.3 

Fat  mutton  . . . 

53 

12.4 

- 

- 

31.1 

3.5 

12.4 

31.1 

2.5 

Yeal 

63 

16.5 

- 

- 

15.8 

4.7 

16.5 

15.8 

1.0 

Fat  pork 

39 

9.8 

- 

- 

48.9 

2.3 

9.8 

48.9 

5.0 

Oreen  bacon  . . 

24 

7.1 

- 

_ 

66.8 

2.2 

7.1 

66.8 

9.4 

Dried  bacon... 

15 

8.8 

- 

_ 

73.3 

2.9 

8.8 

73.3 

8.3 

Ox  liver 

74 

18.9 

- 

- 

4.1 

3.0 

18.9 

4.1 

0.2 

Tripe 

68 

13.2 

- 

- 

16.4 

2.4 

13.2 

16.4 

1.3 

Poultry 

74 

21.0 

- 

- 

3.8 

1.2 

21.0 

3.8 

0.2 

White  fish  .... 

78 

18.1 

— 

— 

2.9 

1.0 

18.1 

2.9 

0.2 

Eels 

75 

9.9 

- 

- 

13.8 

1.3 

9.9 

13.8 

1.4 

Salmon 

77 

16.1 

- 

- 

5.5 

1.4 

16.1 

5.5 

0.3 

Entire  egg 

74 

14.0 

- 

- 

10.5 

1.5 

14.0 

10.5 

0.7 

White  of  eggs.. 

78 

20.4 

- 

- 

- 

16 

20.4 

- 

- 

Yelk  of  egg..  . . 

52 

16.0 

- 

- 

30.7 

13 

16.0 

30.7 

1.9 

Butter  and  fats 

15 

- 

- 

- 

83.0 

2.0 

_ 

83.0 

- 

Beer  and  porter 

91 

0.1 

- 

8.7 

- 

0.2 

0.1 

8.7 

87.0 

APPENDIX. 


255 


Eminent  physiological  investigators  have  found  that 
the  amount  of  food  daily  necessary  to  keep  a person  in 
health  must  be  enough  to  yield  four  thousand  one  hun 
dred  grains  of  carbon,  and  one  hundred  and  ninety 
grains  of  nitrogen ; counting  seven  thousand  grains 
avoirdupois  to  one  pound,  it  is  possible  for  a person  to 
live  in  health  on  an  amount  of  food  which  would  yield 
a little  over  half  a pound  of  nutriment,  not  counting 
the  water  drank,  or  the  air  breathed. 

Dr.  Edward  Smith,  of  London,  says  that  the  amounts 
required  for  sustaining  health,  are  for  an 

Grains  of  Carbon.  Grains  of  Nitrogen. 

Adult  woman,  3900  180 

Adult  man,  4300  200 

Average  adult,  4100  190 

These  proportions  would  be  obtained  in  about  two 
and  a quarter  pounds  of  good  wheat  bread.  On  this 
foundation  the  following  interesting  table  has  been  pre- 
pared. The  cost  is  in  English  money,  and  at  English 
prices ; multiplying  the  English  penny  by  two  will  give 
very  nearly  the  price  in  our  gold  and  silver. 


256 


APPENDIX, 


No.  X.  — NUTRITIVE  VALUES  OF  FOOD. 


Grains  per  Pound. 

Grains  for  One 
Penny. 

Weekly  Cost  of 
Famine  Diet  for 

Carbon. 

Nitrogen. 

Yalue 

per 

Pound. 

Carbon. 

1 

Nitrogen. 

Carbon. 

a 

<o 

I 

% 

Split  pease 

2730 

255 

Pence. 

1 

2730 

255 

Pence. 

10.5 

Pence. 

5.2 

Indian  meal 

2800 

123 

1 

2800 

123 

10.2 

10.8 

Barley  meal. . . . 

2730 

70 

1 

2730 

70 

10.5 

19.0 

Rye  meal 

2660 

88 

2128 

70 

13.5 

19.0 

Seconds  flour. . . 

2660 

120 

ll 

1773 

80 

16.2 

16.6 

Oatmeal 

2800 

140 

2 

1400 

70 

20.4 

19.0 

Bakers’  bread. . 

1995 

90 

U 

1330 

60 

21.6 

22.1 

Pearl  barley  .... 

2660 

91 

2 

1330 

45 

21.6 

29.5 

Rice 

2730 

70 

2 

1365 

35 

20.5 

38.0 

Potatoes 

770 

24 

oi 

1540 

48 

18.6 

27.7 

Turnips 

238 

13 

0£ 

476 

26 

60.3 

51.1 

Green  vegetables 

420 

14 

0 

840 

24 

34.1 

55.4 

Carrots 

385 

14 

1 

385 

14 

74.8 

95.0 

Parsnips 

421 

12 

1 

421 

12 

66.4 

110.8 

Sugar 

2800 

- 

5 

560 

- 

51.2 

- 

Treacle 

2200 

— 

1 

2200 

- 

13.0 

- 

Buttermilk 

335 

35 

01 

670 

70 

42.8 

19.0 

Whey 

154 

13 

oi 

626 

52 

45.8 

25.6 

Skimmed  milk.. 

350 

34 

i4 

350 

34 

82.2 

39.1 

New  milk 

378 

35 

2 

189 

18 

154.0 

73.9 

Skim  cheese.  . . 

2348 

364 

3 

783 

121 

36.6 

11.0 

Cheddar  cheese 

2520 

315 

8 

315 

39 

91.1 

34.1 

Bullocks’  liver  . 

1226 

210 

3 

408 

70 

70.3 

19.0 

Mutton 

2902 

140 

5 

580 

28 

49.5 

47.5 

Beef 

2301 

175 

8 

288 

22 

99.6 

60.5 

Fresh  pork  .... 

2950 

108 

7 

421 

15 

68.1 

88.7 

Dry  bacon 

4270 

98 

9 

474 

11 

60.5 

120.9 

Green  bacon... . 

3990 

79 

8 

492 

10 

58.3 

133.0 

White  fish 

900 

130 

2 

450 

65 

63.8 

20.4 

Red  herrings  . . . 

1435 

217 

4 

359 

54 

80.0 

24.6 

Dripping 

5320 

- 

6 

887 

- 

32.3 

- 

Suet 

4710 

— 

7 

673 

— 

42.6 

— 

Lard 

4819 

— 

9 

535 

— 

53.6 

- 

Salt  butter 

4585 

- 

12 

382 

- 

75.1 

- 

Fresh  butter .. . 

4712 

- 

16 

294 

- 

97.6 

- 

Cocoa 

3934 

140 

4 

983 

35 

29.2 

38.0 

Beer  and  porter 

315 

1 

1 

315 

1 

91.1 

1330.0 

APPENDIX. 


257 


No.  XI.—  FLOUR  TABLE. 

BRAN  BREAD,  AND  WHITE  WHEATEN  BREAD. 


Vegetable  Food 

Pounds  per  Bushel.  Amount  of  Nitrogen.  Mineral  Matter 

Fine  flour, 

56 

1.70 

0.71 

Seconds, 

56 

1.86 

0.99 

Sharps, 

26 

2.40 

2.90 

Fine  Pollards, 

16 

2.43 

6.00 

Bran, 

12 

2.40 

7.00 

Much  has  been  said  of  the 

superior 

healthfulness  of 

brown  bread 

over  white,  and  still  the  masses  will  use 

the  whitest  flour  they  can  get.  The  writer  knows  a 
very  wealthy  owner  of  flour-mills,  who,  from  principle, 
uses  bran  bread  on  his  family  table,  but  supplies  the 
whitest  flour  to  his  servants,  otherwise  they  would  not 
live  with  him  a week.  Is  the  instinct  of  the  servant 
nearer  right  than  the  intellect  of  the  master  ? 

From  the  above  table  it  will  be  seen  that  a bushel  of 
bran  has  nearly  seven  times  as  much  mineral  matter  as 
a bushel  of  fine  flour.  It  is  this  mineral  matter  which 
mainly  gives  strength  to  the  bones,  and  beauty  and  last- 
ingness to  the  teeth,  and  vigor  to  the  brain,  and  power 
to  the  muscles ; that  is,  this  mineral  matter,  or  “ ash,’; 
utilizes  the  nitrogen  and  the  carbon  derived  from  our 
food.  But  investigation  shows  that  half  of  the  bran  is 
indigestible,  even  if  passed  through  half  a dozen  ani- 
mals in  succession ; secondly,  it  is  so  irritating,  by  its 
jagged  points  coming  in  contact  with  the  delicate  coat- 
ing of  the  bowels,  that  it  forces  the  food  through  the 
alimentary  canal  in  healthy  persons  before  it  is  fully 
digested,  hence  causes  waste.  Hence,  as  was  said  in  a 
previous  page,  it  is  beneficial  to  those  whose  bowels  are 
too  slow,  constipated  ; and  the  caution  was  there  given, 
17 


258 


APPENDIX. 


that  when  taken  to  remove  constipation,  it  should  he 
discontinued  when  the  desired  result  was  secured ; 
thus  having  something  to  fall  back  upon  in  case  of 
further  need  in  that  direction. 

Hence  working  and  observant  men  seem  instinc- 
tively to  have  chosen  the  whitest  bread,  as  more  easily 
digested,  and  as  giving  more  strength  to  work.  A mid- 
dle course  would  seem,  in  the  present  state  of  our  knowl- 
edge, to  be  the  most  desirable,  — neither  to  use  the 
finest  flour,  nor  the  whole  product  of  the  grain  known 
as  seconds  flour,  which  should  contain  eighty  per  cent, 
of  the  whole  grain.  It  has  been  said  that  the  very 
outer  skin  has  been  removed,  thus  yielding  eighty-eight 
per  cent,  of  the  grain,  excluding  only  the  perfectly  in- 
digestible portion. 


GOOD  BREAD. 

One  other  reliable  fact  may  here  be  stated  in  refer- 
ence to  wheat  bread,  as  it  is  on  every  table.  One  hun- 
dred pounds  of  flour  will  make  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  and  one  third  pounds  of  bread ; that  is,  out  of 
three  hundred  pounds  of  flour,  our  baker  sells  us  four 
hundred  pounds  of  bread.  But  he  is  not  satisfied  until 
he  adds  one  third  to  that  profit,  by  either  putting  in 
some  alum,  which,  while  it  whitens  the  loaf,  makes  it 
capable  of  holding  one  third  more  water.  Or,  if  three 
or  four  pounds  of  rice  are  boiled  three  hours  in  three 
gallons  of  water,  and  this  is  mixed  with  the  flour  in  the 
dough,  a large  increase  of  weight  is  added  to  the  bread. 
To  make  good  bread,  thirty-seven  per  cent,  of  water 
should  be  added  to  the  flour ; that  is,  sixty-three  pounds 
of  flour,  and  thirty-seven  of  water. 


NOTES. 


1 

NOTE  I. 

MIASM. 

Miasm  and  Malaria  both  mean  a bad  atmosphere, 
but  Miasm  is  applied  to  a particular  kind  of  air;  it 
means  literally  an  “ emanation,”  something  rising  up 
from  the  ground,  as  fog  is  seen  to  do  sometimes  from 
the  water.  This  emanation  is  invisible,  and  so  impal- 
pable that  no  chemist  has  ever  been  able  to  detect  its 
presence  in  a bottle  of  the  air  taken  from  the  mias- 
matic districts.  Still  its  laws  have  been  determined 
with  remarkable  precision  ; and  as  this  miasm  is  be- 
lieved by  scientific  men  to  be  the  cause  of  almost  every 
disease  which  falls  upon  communities,  — from  Asiatic 
cholera  and  yellow  fever  down  to  intermittents,  ague, 
and  similar  maladies,  — it  will  be  seen  at  once  of  what 
incalculable  importance  it  is  that  its  laws  should  be 
known,  and  human  conduct  adapted  thereto.  It  would 
require  too  much  space  here  to  do  more  than  succinctly 
announce  the  laws  referred  to,  not  even  attempting 
some  apparent  contradictions.  The  whole  subject,  how- 
ever, is  fully  discussed  in  the  Congressional  reports  of 
the  Department  of  Agriculture  for  1865,  as  prepared 
for  “ Halfs  Journal  of  Health,”  Volume  XIII.,  in  an 
article  on  the  proper  location  of  farmers'  houses,  city 
dwellings,  etc. 

Miasm  arises  from  decaying  leaves,  wood,  and  other 
vegetable  matter  found  in  flat  lands.  Moisture  and  a 


260 


NOTES. 


heat  over  eighty  degrees  Fahrenheit  are  essential  to  its 
existence.  The  periods  of  its  greatest  malignity  are 
the  hours  including  sunrise  and  sunset.  A cool  air  of 
sixty  degrees  and  under  causes  it  to  settle  on  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth,  so  that  it  is  breathed  into  the  lungs 
and  poisons  the  whole  blood,  causing  death  within  a 
week  sometimes,  of  congestive  and  other  malignant  fe- 
vers. On  the  other  hand,  heat  antagonizes  it,  by  rarefy- 
ing the  atmosphere,  and  sending  it  upwards  towards  the 
sky,  where  it  cannot  be  breathed. 

Miasmatic  effects  can  always  be  prevented  in  two 
ways ; hence  fever  and  ague,  all  classes  of  intermittents, 
are  preventable,  and  could  be  swept  from  the  world. 
First,  If  precautions  were  taken  to  eat  a hearty  meal 
before  exposure  to  it,  as  by  taking  a good  warm  break- 
fast before  going  out-of-doors  in  the  morning,  in  warm 
weather,  and  taking  supper  before  sundown.  Second, 
By  kindling  a lively  fire  in  the  family  room,  half  an 
hour  before  sunrise  and  sunset,  in  warm  weather,  to 
burn  for  an  hour ; the  most  suitable  arrangement  for 
this  purpose,  as  well  as  for  affording  the  most  cheerful 
and  healthful  heat  for  all  seasons,  being  the  Low 
Down  Grate  of  Dixon  and  Sons,  of  Philadelphia,  as  it 
is  equally  adapted  to  the  burning  of  wood,  peat,  coke, 
or  hard  or  soft  coal. 

Later  and  more  minute  investigations  by  Dr.  Salis- 
bury, of  Chicago,  seem  to  show  that  the  deleterious  in- 
gredient in  a miasmatic  atmosphere  is  a living  thing, 
possessing  animal  life ; while  a lady  presented  a paper 
to  the  French  Academy  about  the  same  time,  describing 
it  as  of  a vegetable  character,  — agreeing,  however,  in 
one  thing,  that  the  origin  was  from  decaying  vegetable 
matter,  requiring  moisture  and  heat  for  its  existence. 


NOTES. 


261 


NOTE  II. 

OUT-DOOR  EXERCISE. 

A single  fact  has  been  communicated  to  the  author, 
since  the  preceding  pages  were  written,  illustrating  the 
value  of  out-door  exercise  in  diseases  more  serious  than 
any  which  have  been  named.  It  is  earnestly  hoped  the 
recital  about  to  be  made,  with  a similar  one  given  as 
having  occurred  many  years  ago,  as  confirming  the 
truth  of  the  more  recent  one,  will  make  a deep  impres- 
sion upon  every  reader,  whether  the  “ symptoms  ” are 
present  in  his  own  person,  or  in  that  of  some  one  over 
whom  he  possesses  influence  or  exercises  authority. 
The  letter,  being  from  a clergyman,  is  reliable  and  con- 
scientiously accurate : — 

“ Five  years  ago,  my  friends  believed  me  hopelessly 
gone  in  consumption.  I was  wasted  away  to  a mere 
skeleton  ; had  to  give  up  my  church.  From  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-two,  my  standing  weight,  I dwindled 
down  to  one  hundred  and  eighteen,  and  remained  at 
that  point  for  about  two  years.  I sent  for  the  book  on 
4 Consumption,’  read  it,  and,  with  an  energy  bordering 
on  desperation,  set  about  the  method  recommended  in 
that  work.  There  was  but  little  change  for  a few 
months,  but  gradually  I began  to  mend.  Now  I weigh 
one  hundred  and  fifty-four  pounds,  and  for  eighteen 
months  have  been  travelling  as  a missionary.  My  av- 
erage travel  per  week,  on  horseback,  is  one  hundred 
miles.  I have  not,  in  all  that  time,  failed  to  fill  my  ap- 
pointments in  consequence  of  bad  4 weather.’ 

“November  11,  1869.” 


262 


NOTES. 


“Edenton,  North  Carolina,  Febmary , 183Q 
uDr.  Physic,  Philadelphia: 

“ Dear  Sir, — In  the  month  of  April,  1812,  aflef 
having  been  extremely  reduced  by  an  attack  of  bilious 
fever,  I was  seized  with  a cough,  which  continued,  with 
great  obstinacy  and  severity,  until  the  month  of  No- 
vember, when  decided  symptoms  of  phthisis  (consump- 
tion) began  to  make  their  appearance.  I had  every 
evening  an  exacerbation  (recurrence)  of  fever,  pre- 
ceded by  chilliness,  and  succeeded  by  copious  perspira- 
tion. My  cough  began  to  be  less  painful,  but  was  at- 
tended with  an  expectoration  of  mucus,  mixed  with  pus 
(yellow  matter).  Before  this  complaint  came  on  me,  I 
had  accepted  a surgeon’s  commission  in  the  army,  and 
was  stationed  at  Tarborough,  about  seventy-five  miles 
from  this  place.  In  the  month  of  December,  the  part 
of  the  regiment  which  had  been  recruited  then  having 
been  ordered  to  Salisbury,  it  became  my  duty  to  repair 
to  that  place. 

a Accordingly,  about  the  middle  of  the  month,  in  the 
situation  I have  described,  I set  out  on  my  journey. 

“ In  two  days  I reached  Raleigh,  without  having  ex- 
perienced any  material  change  in  the  symptoms  of  my 
complaint.  During  my  stay  in  Raleigh,  the  disease  in- 
creased every  day,  so  that  I was  obliged  to  remain 
there  nearly  a week,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  I 
had  almost  determined  to  retrace  my  steps,  return 
home,  and  take  my  station  among  the  forlorn  and  de- 
spairing victims  of  this  unrelenting  malady. 

“ But  reflecting  deeply  on  my  situation,  and  recollect- 
ing that  scarce  a patient  in  a thousand  had  been  known 
to  recover  from  the  disease  after  having  been  confined 
to  bed  by  it,  I was  resolved  to  resume  my  journey,  and 


NOTES. 


263 


to  reach  the  place  of  destination  or  perish  on  the  road. 
It  will  be  impossible  for  me  ever  to  forget  the  effort  I 
had  to  make  in  pursuing  this  resolution.  On  a cold 
and  blustering  morning  about  the  20th  of  December, 
weak  and  emaciated,  having  been  literally  drenched  in 
perspiration  the  night  before,  I ascended  my  gig  and 
proceeded  on  my  journey.  The  first  part  of  my  ride, 
this  day,  was  excessively  irksome  and  fatiguing.  Every 
hovel  and  hamlet  on  the  road  seemed  to  invite  me  to 
rest,  and  to  dissuade  me  from  the  prosecution  of  my 
undertaking.  Often  and  anxiously  did  I wish  that  my 
disease  had  been  of  such  a nature  as  to  allow  me  to 
indulge  in  the  inclination  I felt  to  desist  from  motion. 
But  I continued  my  ride  for  three  hours,  when  I found 
it  necessary  to  stop  for  a little  refreshment.  While 
dinner  was  preparing,  I lay  down  on  a bed  to  rest.  It 
was,  perhaps,  an  imprudent  act.  Never  was  a bed  so 
sweet  to  the  wayworn  and  exhausted  traveller  as  was  this 
to  me.  I lay  on  it  for  an  hour,  wrapped,  as  it  were,  in 
elysium.  When  summoned  to  dinner,  though  sleep  was 
fast  stealing  on  me,  and  inviting  me  to  be  still,  I arose 
and  attended ; and,  after  having  made  a very  moderate 
meal  of  very  common  country  food,  I resumed  my  ride, 
and  at  night,  about  half  past  six  o’clock,  arrived  at  Hills- 
borough, which  is  distant  about  thirty-six  miles  from 
Raleigh.  The  inn  to  which  I had  been  recommended 
was  unusually  crowded  ; and  I had  to  accept  of  a room 
that  was  out  of  repair,  the  window-sashes  rattling  in  their 
casements,  and  the  wind  passing  through  the  sashes  in 
several  places.  In  such  a chamber,  at  such  a season, 
and  in  the  situation  already  described,  was  I quartered 
for  the  night.  To  my  surprise,  however,  I had  a better 
night’s  rest  than  I had  had  for  several  weeks,  and  less 


264 


NOTES. 


perspiration,  and  coughed  less  than  I had  for  a month 
before. 

“ In  the  morning,  considerably  refreshed,  I proceeded 
on  my  journey,  and  travelled  in  a foggy,  misty  atmos- 
phere full  forty  miles  ; the  next  day  about  thirty-five ; 
and  on  the  fourth  day,  about  twelve  o’clock,  I arrived 
at  Salisbury.  On  my  arrival,  I heard  it  mentioned  as  a 
matter  of  astonishment,  that  a man  in  my  situation 
should  think  of  travelling  in  the  cold  and  inclement 
season  of  winter ; much  more  astonishing  that  I should 
venture  to  approach  the  mountains  at  such  a period. 
But  I had  taken  my  resolution,  and  was  determined 
never  to  relinquish  it  while  I had  power  to  walk  or  ride. 
The  regiment  to  which  I was  attached  was  encamped 
about  four  miles  from  the  town  of  Salisbury.  To  this 
place  I tasked  myself  to  ride  twice  every  day,  a duty  I 
regularly  performed  in  the  coldest  weather  until  I left 
the  service. 

“ Early  in  January  the  officer  in  command  received 
orders  to  repair  with  his  regiment  to  Canada.  While 
preparations  were  making  for  that  purpose,  believing 
that  such  a climate  would  be  too  severe  for  me,  and  that 
I must  of  course  soon  cease  to  be  useful  to  the  Govern- 
ment, I addressed  a letter  to  the  Secretary  of  War,  solic- 
iting permission  to  retire  from  the  army.  This  request 
was  promptly  and  kindly  granted  to  me.  In  February, 
1813,  I commenced  the  practice  of  my  profession  again 
in  this  place,  and  continued  to  attend  to  the  most  la- 
borious duties  of  it  at  all  times  of  the  day  and  night,  in 
rain,  hail,  snow,  storms,  and  sunshine,  whenever  I was 
called  on,  for  eighteen  months. 

“ At  the  end  of  that  time,  I had  lost  my  hectic  fever, 
night-sweats,  purulent  expectoration,  and  my  cough  had 


NOTES. 


265 


nearly  left  me  ; my  chest  had  recovered  its  capacity  of 
free  and  easy  expansion,  and  the  ulcers  in  my  lungs 
had  entirely  healed.  Many  who  read  the  foregoing 
statement  will  no  doubt  be  curious  to  know  what  med- 
ical means  were  used  as  auxiliaries  in  the  cure  of  this 
very  alarming  state  of  disease.  It  would  not  be  in  my 
power  to  satisfy  curiosity  on  this  point  were  it  a matter 
of  any  importance,  which  I conceive  is  not  the  case,  the 
complaint  having  been  cured  by  hardy , invigorating  exer- 
cise, continued  without  interruption  in  every  variety  of 
temperature  and  weather . 

“ That  palliatives  of  different  kinds  were  resorted  to 
at  various  periods,  must  at  once  be  supposed ; but  I do 
not  consider  it  a matter  of  consequence  to  name  them, 
as  they  were  such  as  would  readily  suggest  themselves 
to  physicians  of  every  grade  of  skill  or  intellect,  and 
never  produced  more  than  a temporary  alleviation  of 
symptoms.  Perhaps  it  may  be  material  to  state,  I 
never  used  opium  in  any  form  whatever,  and  that  I 
never  incautiously  wasted  the  resources  of  my  constitu- 
tion by  depletory  or  debilitating  means.  When  symp- 
toms of  high  arterial  excitement  occurred,  which  would 
sometimes  be  the  case,  it  was  my  practice  to  abstain 
from  strong,  high -seasoned  food,  from  all  fermented 
and  spirituous  liquors,  and  from  active  exercise  until 
they  subsided.  By  this  negative  mode  of  management 
I generally  succeeded  in  removing  inflammation  with- 
out materially  impairing  the  energies  of  my  system  ; 
and  on  the  increase  of  the  purulent  discharge  subse- 
quent to  such  inflammatory  appearances,  I betook  my- 
self again  to  my  exercise,  and  ate  and  drank  everything 
I wanted.  I always  found  that  the  inconvenience  pro- 
duced by  a full  meal  yielded  very  soon  to  horse  exer- 


266 


NOTES. 


cise,  and  that  I generally  coughed  less  while  riding 
than  at  any  other  time.  The  hectic  paroxysm  was  gen- 
erally interrupted  and  sometimes  cut  short  by  a hard 
ride ; and  often,  very  often,  during  the  existence  of  my 
disease,  have  I checked  the  exhausting  flood  of  perspi- 
ration, and  renewed  my  strength  and  spirits,  by  turning 
out  of  bed  at  midnight  and  riding  a dozen  miles  or 
more ; many  a time,  too,  have  I left  my  bed  in  the  early 
part  of  the  night,  wayworn  with  coughing,  restlessness, 
and  sweating,  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  a patient,  and 
after  having  rode  an  hour  or  two,  returned  home  and  slept 
quietly  and  refreshingly  for  the  remainder  of  the  night. 

“ Another  thing  which  I remarked  in  the  course  of 
my  experience  in  the  disease  was,  that  some  of  the  most 
profitable  rides  I ever  took  were  made  in  the  coldest 
and  most  inclement  weather  (air  dense  and  plenty  of 
oxygen  for  assimilation),  and  that  scarcely  in  any  situ- 
ation did  I return  from  a long  and  toilsome  ride  with- 
out receiving  a sensible  amendment  in  all  my  pulmo- 
nary complaints.  In  short,  sir,  were  I asked  to  state  in 
a few  words  the  remedy  which  rescued  me,  I should  say 
it  was  a life  of  hardy  exercise,  and  of  unremitting  toil? 
activity,  and  exposure.  With  pectoral  medicines,  or 
those  articles  or  compositions  denominated  expector- 
ants, I seldom  meddled  in  my  own  case  ; without  opium, 
which  from  a constitutional  peculiarity  I have  not  been 
able  to  take  for  many  years,  I found  them  too-  debili- 
tating ; and  with  it,  had  I been  able  to  use  the  article, 
I should  not  have  been  disposed  to  take  them,  lest  their 
effect  in  disposing  to  rest  and  inactivity  might  have 
operated  against  the  course  I had  prescribed  for  myself, 
and  from  which  I expected  relief. 

“ It  remains  for  me  to  mention  another  agent  which 


NOTES. 


267 


I think  excited  a very  curative  influence  upon  my  dis- 
ease, and  that  is  singing.  In  first  using  this  remedy,  it 
was  my  custom  to  sing  in  a low  tone,  and  not  long  at 
a time,  so  as  not  to  occasion  much  pulmonary  effort. 
But  by  degrees  I became  able  to  sing  in  the  most  ele- 
vated tones,  and  for  hours  together,  allowing  myself 
only  such  intervals  of  rest  as  the  lungs  required  to  ob- 
viate injurious  fatigue.  So  long  and  so  frequently  did  I 
repeat  this  act  in  the  course  of  my  disease,  that  the  ex- 
ercise of  singing  became  so  strongly  associated  that  as 
soon  as  I mounted  my  horse  or  ascended  my  chaise,  I 
found  myself  humming  a tune  ; and  often  in  my  lonely 
rides  through  the  country,  at  late  and  unseasonable 
hours  of  the  night,  have  I made  the  woods  vocal  with 
the  most  exhilarating  music.  Singing  seemed  always 
to  have  the  effect  of  clearing  the  bronchial  passages, 
of  opening  the  chest,  and  of  giving  a greater  capacity 
of  motion  and  expansion  to  the  lungs.  [The  Doctor 
was  killed  by  accident,  in  1850.] 

“ Yours,  etc.,  James  Norcom.” 

Dr.  Norcom  mentions  a case  as  having  occurred  in 
1810,  which  in  1830,  twenty  years  later,  was  wholly 
free  from  any  disease  of  the  lungs.  All  this  patient  did 
was  to  ride  ten  miles  a day,  gradually  increasing  to 
twenty  miles  a day,  and  by  a continuance  of  exercise 
was  eventually  restored  to  perfect  health.  All  the  med- 
icine this  man  took  was  tincture  of  digitalis  ; but  as  it 
is  now  generally  conceded  that  this  remedy  is  worthless 
in  consumption,  the  cure  must  be  attributed  to  the  ex- 
ercise, just  as  in  the  following  case,  as  given  by  Dr. 
Stokes,  whom  we  have  personally  known  at  his  own  home 
ic  Dublin,  and  whom  we  found  to  be,  as  is  universally 


268 


NOTES. 


accorded  by  the  profession,  among  the  very  foremost  of 
living  medical  minds.  The  case  was  first  reported  in 
one  of  the  British  medical  periodicals  in  1854,  and  re- 
published here  in  April  of  the  succeeding  year. 

“ Some  years  ago  I saw  a gentleman  who  came  to 
town  laboring  under  all  the  symptoms  of  well-marked 
phthisis.  The  disease  had  been  of  several  months’ 
standing,  and  the  patient  was  a perfect  picture  of  con- 
sumption. He  had  a rapid  pulse,  hectic,  sweating,  pur- 
ulent expectoration,  and  the  usual  physical  signs  of  tu- 
bercular deposit,  and  of  a cavity  under  the  right  clav- 
icle. I may  also  state  that  the  history  of  the  disease 
was  in  accordance,  in  all  particulars,  with  this  opinion. 
I saw  this  patient  in  consultation  with  a gentleman  of 
the  highest  station  in  the  profession,  and  we  both  agreed 
there  was  nothing  to  be  done.  This  opinion  was  com- 
municated to  the  patient’s  friends,  and  he  was  advised 
to  return  to  the  country.  In  about  eighteen  months 
afterwards,  a tall  and  healthy-looking  man,  weighing  at 
least  twelve  stone,  entered  my  study  with  a very  com- 
ical expression  of  countenance:  4 You  don’t  know  me, 
doctor  ? ’ he  said.  I apologized,  pleading  an  inaptitude 
that  belongs  to  me  for  recollecting  faces.  ‘ I am,’  he 

said,  6 the  person  whom  you  and  Dr. sent  home 

to  die  last  year.  I am  quite  well,  and  I thought  I would 
come  and  show  myself  to  you.’  I examined  him  with 
great  interest,  and  found  every  sign  of  disease  had  dis- 
appeared, except  that  there  was  a slight  flattening  un- 
der the  clavicle.” 

The  course  pursued  by  this  gentleman  was  the  reck- 
less pursuit  of  game  ; hunting  and  shooting  wild  clucks, 
regardless  of  all  weathers ; feet  wet  for  a whole  day  at 
a time  ; standing  up  to  his  hips  in  water  of  a winter’s 


NOTES. 


269 


day,  in  the  River  Shannon.  His  motto  was,  “ Go  ahead, 
keep  moving,”  in  the  blessed  open  air. 

In  this  case  of  Dr.  Stokes,  it  should  be  remembered, 
first,  that  he  was  one  of  the  best  judges  of  consump- 
tion in  the  British  nation,  and  that  he  considered  it 
hopeless  of  cure.  We  must  also  in  this,  as  well  as  in 
the  case  given  by  Dr.  Norcom,  attribute  the  cure  to  the 
exercise  in  the  open  air.  It  cannot  fail  to  strike  the 
reader  with  peculiar  power,  that  when  under  a certain 
variety  of  treatment  a person  recovers  from  a particu- 
lar disease,  but  that  in  that  treatment  one  element  is 
always  present  largely  under  all  circumstances,  while  as 
to  the  other  elements  there  is  great  diversity  as  to  com- 
bination, as  well  as  to  their  very  nature,  we  are  obliged 
to  conclude  that  restoration  depends  on  the  one  large 
ever  present  element,  and  that  the  other  elements,  va- 
rious in  nature,  quantity,  and  combination,  are  without 
any  material  efficiency. 

A.  P.,  a lawyer  poet  of  some  renown,  a native  of 
New  England,  a sixth  child.  His  parents  had  died  of 
consumption  ; all  his  brothers  and  sisters,  as  they  ap- 
proached the  age  of  twenty-one,  paled  away  and  died 
of  the  same  disease.  No  one  of  his  neighbors  looked  for 
any  different  result  in  his  case,  and  beginning  to  grow 
feeble  in  his  twentieth  year,  and  being  the  last  of  his 
family,  with  dear  associations  around  the  home  of  his 
childhood,  he,  in  utter  recklessness,  penetrated  the  for- 
ests of  Arkansas,  lived  a hunter’s  life,  camped  out  for 
weeks  and  months  together,  and  now,  at  the  end  of 
thirty  years,  and  in  perfect  health,  weighs  over  a hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  pounds. 

The  above  are  cases  which  illustrate  what  out-door 
activities  will  accomplish  towards  the  removal  of  dis- 


270 


NOTES. 


eases  which  have  been  burrowing  in  the  system  foi 
weeks  and  months  and  years  ; all  acting  in  the  way  of 
invigorating  the  appetite,  of  making  the  patient  really 
hungry,  first  preparing  him  for  a good  meal,  and  then 
enabling  him  to  digest  it  thoroughly,  so  as  to  give 
strength  and  flesh  to  the  body,  and  to  the  mind  exhila- 
ration and  energy. 

The  following  is  a recent  case  in  the  person  of  a New 
York  merchant  personally  known  to  the  writer,  who 
was  also  cognizant  of  all  the  facts  before  and  since. 

He  was  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  engrossed  with  a 
large  and  responsible  business ; but  midsummer  coming 
on,  he  found  himself  losing  appetite,  strength,  and  flesh. 
He  had  no  relish  for  anything ; his  eyes  became  sunken 
and  yellow,  his  face  pale  and  thin,  his  gait  weary,  and 
all  exercise  an  effort.  The  necessities  of  an  extensive 
business  seemed  to  demand  his  personal  presence  until 
his  condition  so  alarmed  his  family  that  an  immediate 
change  was  demanded.  He  at  once  began  preparation 
for  a month’s  camping  out  in  the  open  air,  hunting  and 
fishing  with  two  or  three  genial  companions.  In  forty- 
eight  hours  after  he  left  his  beautiful  home  on  the 
Hudson  his  sleep  was  perfect ; his  appetite  voracious 
enough  to  eat  anything  he  could  get  in  the  wild  moun- 
tainous country.  At  the  end  of  a month  he  returned 
to  business  apparently  in  exuberant  health,  and  so  re- 
mains at  this  writing,  sixteen  months  later. 

Let  it  be  borne  in  mind  that  our  common  diseases, 
especially  the  four  more  particularly  named  in  these 
pages,  are  the  result  of  an  over-fullness,  a clogging  up 
of  the  human  machine  by  the  failure  for  a long  time  to 
carry  out  of  the  body  the  waste  and  wear  and  other  use- 
less matters  of  the  system : these  interfere  with  its  vig- 


NOTES. . 


271 


orous  and  healthful  working,  and  disease  is  the  result. 
The  first  and  absolutely  essential  step  in  the  cure  of  all 
human  maladies  is  the  removal  of  the  cause  ; and  as  the 
cause  in  question  is  a surplus  of  various  matters  in  the 
body,  this  surplus  must  be  conveyed  out  of  it,  which 
being  done,  the  body  returns  to  its  healthful  condition 
of  and  by  itself,  by  virtue  of  the  power  within  it  im- 
planted by  Nature,  and  made  a component  part  of  our- 
selves, — the  power  which  the  educated  physician  loves, 
from  its  expressiveness,  to  denominate  the  vis  medic a- 
trix  Nature,  the  power  of  nature  to  cure  herself. 
Only  take  the  burden  from  her,  and  she  rises  to  her 
feet  on  the  instant  almost. 

The  elements  of  cure  of  this  case  of  biliousness  were  • 

1st.  Relieving  the  mind  of  its  enormous  load  of  busi- 
ness responsibility. 

2d.  Bringing  about  the  exercise  of  a new  set  of 
muscles. 

3d.  Being  in  the  open  air  the  whole  of  the  time  ; for 
each  breath  goes  into  the  lungs,  in  a sense,  empty,  and 
comes  out  full  freighted  with  useless  and  deleterious 
matters,  thus  removing  an  immense  amount  of  them  in 
twenty-four  hours. 

It  was  just  said,  for  the  sake  of  making  a plain  point, 
that  each  breath  went  into  the  lungs  u empty : ” that  is 
literally  farthest  possible  from  the  truth  ; for  in  reality, 
each  breath  goes  into  the  lungs  full  of  life,  — that  life 
which  comes  to  us  in  the  glorious  sunshine,  the  pure, 
energizing  oxygen.  This  life  is  imparted  to  the  blood, 
and  gives  it  its  renovating  power. 

4th.  The  fourth  point  is  that  the  bodily  activities,  as 
has  been  previously  explained,  work  out  of  the  body  the 
matter  which  clog  up  its  operations,  and  interfere  with 


272 


NOTES. 


its  healthful  movements ; thus  in  reality  without  any 
exaggerati°n,  every  breath  drawn,  every  motion  made  in 
the  open  air,  even  to  the 

TWINKLING  OF  THE  EYE, 

leave  the  system  that  much  less  oppressed,  that  much 
less  clogged  up,  that  much  nearer  life  and  health  and 
happiness ; and  yet  in  the  very  sight  of  this  life  and 
^health  and  happiness,  multitudes  die  every  year,  simply 
for  the  want  of  energy,  of  force  of  character,  to  put 
out  the  hand  and  take  them,  and  be  saved ! 

The  above  statements  of  facts,  in  connection  with 
what  has  been  advanced  in  the  preceding  pages,  seem 
to  show  very  conclusively  that  there  are  four  steps  to 
be  taken  to  maintain  health  and  to  cure  ordinary 
diseases. 

First.  The  wastes  and  impurities  of  the  system  must 
be  worked  out  of  it  by  exercise,  including  voluntary 
and  involuntary  muscular  activities. 

Second . An  appetite  must  be  had  as  a necessary  step 
towards  a supply  of  the  wastes  of  the  body. 

Third . Food  must  be  provided  to  meet  this  demand 
of  the  system,  called  “ appetite.” 

Fourth . This  food  must  be  of  the  best  kind  of  meats, 
fish,  poultry,  game,  the  grains  which  make  bread,  and 
the  fruits  of  the  earth,  prepared  in  the  best  manner, 
that  is,  in  such  a way  that  they  shall  come  upon  our 
tables  in  their  simplicity,  possessing  all  their  natural 
juices.  And  let  us  not  fail  to  note,  as  we  close  the  book, 
the  wisdom  and  goodness  of  the  great  Maker  of  our 
frames : first,  in  the  economy  of  means  to  an  end ; the 
very  exercise  which  works  the  wastes  and  impurities  oul 
of  our  bodies  generates  the  appetite  which  is  so  essem 


NOTES. 


273 


tial  to  the  repair  of  those  wastes ; at  the  same  time  order- 
ing that  exercise  should  be  a pleasure,  and  the  gratifica 
tion  of  the  appetite,  which  the  exercise  procures,  should 
be  an  every-day  gratification  and  satisfaction,  from  ear- 
liest youth  to  extreme  old  age. 


NOTE  in. 

FOOD  CURE. 

The  onion  is  one  of  the  most  healthful  and  nutritious 
of  the  vegetables  of  its  class,  but  it  seems  to  have 
great  power  of  absorption  of  atmospheric  and  other 
poisons,  and,  if  eaten  largely  during  epidemics,  will 
prove  fatal.  A man  in  the  frenzy  of  hydrophobia  ate 
voraciously  of  onions,  and  recovered.  Snake-bites,  and 
insect  stings,  seem  to  have  been  rendered  harmless  by 
eating  onions,  and  by  the  application  of  onion  poultices. 
In  a room  with  small-pox  patients,  onions  decay  rapidly 
and  blister,  as  if  they  absorbed  the  virus,  which  they  re- 
tain for  some  weeks.  By  absorbing  the  virus  of  a small- 
pox atmosphere,  they  apparently  prevent  the  disease, 
but  should  not  be  eaten  in  such  an  atmosphere.  If 
applied  to  the  feet  of  fever  patients,  they  quickly  turn 
black. 

There  are  several  establishments  on  the  banks  of  the 
Rhine,  in  Germany,  where  diseases  simulating  con- 
sumption are  successfully  treated  in  five  or  six  weeks, 
by  causing  the  patients  to  live  almost  exclusively  on 
grapes,  gathered  by  themselves  and  slowly  eaten  in  the 
open  air.  The  intelligent  physician  will  readily  per- 
ceive how  this  treatment  might  be  efficacious  in  a large 


274 


NOTES. 


class  of  cases,  arising  from  constipation,  indigestion, 
and  torpidity  of  the  liver. 

Peanuts  eaten  freely  have  been  observed  in  some 
cases  to  remove  biliousness. 


NOTE  IV. 

FALL  FROM  A BALLOON. 

The  fall  from  a mile  in  height  occurred  in  Ohio, 
about  the  year  1840,  when  a balloon  collapsed  and  the 
occupant  fell  from  a height  estimated  by  the  more  ex- 
perienced of  the  spectators  to  be  over  two  miles ; it 
was  thought  better  to  have  a liberal  margin  for  the 
statement  at  the  bottom  of  page  2. 


NOTE  Y. 

GENERAL  DEBILITY. 

Many  persons  have  a feeling  of  weakness  which  per- 
vades the  whole  body ; there  does  not  seem  to  be  any 
actual  disease,  but  a want  of  wellness  ; there  is  no 
spring  in  the  step,  no  elasticity  of  spirits  ; it  is  a general 
indisposition  to  do  anything ; no  ambition  to  undertake 
anything,  because  faithful  instinct  is,  as  it  were,  con- 
scious that  there  is  neither  physical  strength  or  men- 
tal power  to  accomplish,  to  carry  out  the  undertaking 
In  almost  all  cases  of  this  sort  the  foundation  of  such 
an  unfortunate  condition  is  in  the  stomach  not  being 
uble  to  obtain  as  much  nutriment  out  of  the  food  eaten 
*s  the  system  requires.  The  physician  is  told  that  there 
is  no  want  of  appetite,  that  the  food  tastes  good,  and 
that  quite  enough  is  eaten,  “ but  it  does  not  seem  ta 


NOTES. 


275 


strengthen  me  any.  I eat  heartily  enough,  but  it  does 
me  no  good.” 

The  trouble  in  this  class  of  cases  is,  that  so  much 
work  is  given  the  stomach  to  perform  that  it  cannot  do 
it.  Let  the  reader  please  turn  to  pages  158  and  184. 

In  a “ notice  ” of  this  book  in  the  “ Toledo  Commer- 
cial,” the  writer  of  the  critical  notices,  very  pertinently 
and  encouragingly  to  the  invalid,  narrates  a case  coming 
under  his  own  personal  observation : — 

“We  knew  of  the  case  of  a man  of  more  than  fifty 
years  of  age,  who  some  years  ago  in  Cincinnati  was  in 
a broken  and  enfeebled  condition,  with  a general  slug- 
gishness and  want  of  action  in  his  whole  system.  No 
friendly  fit  of  sickness  came  to  lay  him  up  and  give  the 
body  time  to  purge  itself.  He  therefore  determined  to 
give  himself  a three  weeks’  fast  and  rest.  He  ate  only 
a crust  of  bread  or  a few  crackers  at  each  meal-time,  and 
spent  most  of  the  time  lying  down  in  his  room.  At  the 
end  of  three  weeks  he  was  of  course  considerably  re- 
duced, but  the  body  had  secured  a thorough  rest,  and 
every  organ  and  every  drop  of  blood  had  been  busy  ex- 
pelling dead  matter  from  the  system.  He  began  then 
to  eat  gradually  and  moderately,  and  strength  rapidly 
returned.  He  was  a new  man.  There  was  a buoyancy 
of  spirits  and  an  elasticity  of  body  which  he  had  not 
felt  for  thirty  years.  And  this  man,  with  moderate  eat- 
ing and  moderate  daily  exercise,  might  have  lived,  Cor- 
naro-like,  a cheerful  and  comparatively  vigorous  life 
until  eighty  years  of  age.” 

The  point  on  which  the  reader  should  fix  his  eye  is, 
that  in  all  such  cases  the  stomach  requires  rest ; that 


276 


NOTES. 


rest  gives  power  to  work,  just  as  the  ploughman  at  night- 
fall comes  home  almost  too  tired  to  step  over  his  thres- 
hold, with  scarcely  power  “ to  do  a single  hand’s  turn,” 
and  yet  in  the  early  morning  he  leaves  his  home  as 
blithe  as  a lark,  like  “ a strong  man  armed  ” to  battle 
with  another  day’s  toil.  He  wanted  nothing  but  rest. 
In  such  cases  the  stomach  wants  nothing  but  rest ; a 
stimulant  is  worse  than  nothing,  because  it  gives  no 
strength,  any  more  than  the  lash  gives  strength  to  the 
poor  dumb  animal  on  the  point  of  exhaustion,  to  make 
it  go  a few  rods  further,  and  yet  this  is  what  stimulants 
and  tonics  and  mustard  and  pepper  do  for  us  when  we 
take  them  to  strengthen  the  stomach,  — they  destroy. 
On  a kindred  point  the  same  writer  gives  another  case 
which  is  full  of  instruction,  in  reference  to  the  remarks 
made  in  the  preceding  pages,  in  connection  with  bil- 
iousness: — 

“ We  remember  a case  which  was  cured  several  years 
ago  in  Toledo  by  simply  going  without  supper  for  some 
ten  days  and  keeping  the  skin  clean  by  daily  ablutions. 
This  was  a cure,  for  the  man  has  not  been  troubled 
with  biliousness  since,  except  in  a very  slight  degree 
during  the  dog-days.  He  continued  on  duty  at  his 
business,  and  took  no  exercise  except  the  walk  from  the 
house  to  the  office.  Instead  of  leaving  the  stomach 
entirely  empty,  however,  from  dinner  until  the  next 
morning,  he  took  several  glasses  of  lemonade  at  supper 
time.  The  acid  of  the  lemon  is  no  doubt  beneficial,  for 
the  bilious  man  craves  acid.  Every  morning,  this  patient 
rose  with  a wonderful  sense  of  rest,  refreshment,  and  a 
feeling  as  though  the  blood  had  been  literally  washed, 


NOTES. 


277 


cleansed,  and  cooled  by  the  lemonade  and  the  fast 
This  theory  of  cure  was  his  own,  adopted  without  the 
advice  of  the  physician,  and  it  was  perfectly  successful. 
Cases  of  long  standing  would  of  course  need  a longer- 
continued  fast/5 

In  sincere  sympathy  with  the  invalid  reader  it  is  de- 
sired to  draw  attention  to  this  one  point.  Here  are 
corroborations  of  the  truth  of  the  theories  of  the  book ; 
testimonies  given  from  disinterested  men  of  observation, 
of  reflection,  given  too  to  advance  the  cause  of  truth, 
for  Mr.  M.  says  in  another  place,  that  the  author  is  at 
liberty  to  use  his  statements  in  any  way  deemed  advisa- 
ble ; and  at  the  risk  of  having  the  volume  designated 
as  a scrap-book,  the  following  cases  coming  under  M.’s 
keen  observation  are  also  appended  : — 

THE  CURE  OF  A DYSPEPTIC. 

“ We  knew  of  a case  some  years  ago  which  was  cured 
m about  four  months  by  exercising  three  or  four  times 
a week  until  the  body  passed  through  a thorough  sweat, 
and  by  a continued  battle  with,  and  daily  refusal  to 
gratify  a morbid  appetite.  This  man,  however,  was 
braver  than  Mr.  Lawrence,  for  he  went  to  the  table 
three  times  a day,  but  with  each  meal  mapped  out  be- 
fore going.  Having  ascertained  by  experience  how 
much  was  not  4 too  much,’  he  bound  himself  by  a vow 
beforehand,  sometimes  for  a week  at  a time,  sometimes 
for  only  one  meal,  that  he  would  eat  just  so  much, 
naming  the  quantity  and  frequently  the  kind.  To  illus- 
trate : He  found  that  he  could  eat  and  digest  about  four 
or  five  4 takes  ’ for  dinner,  and  about  three  or  four  for 


278 


NOTES. 


breakfast  and  supper.  He  therefore  said  before  going 
to  dinner, 4 1 will  44  take  ” one  slice  of  bread,  one  slice  of 
meat,  one  spoonful  of  potato  or  other  vegetable,  and  one 
piece  of  pie  or  dish  of  other  dessert.’  He  knew  that  his 
only  hope  of  self-control  and  of  cure  was  in  respecting 
his  vow,  and  he  rigidly  kept  it,  thus  binding  himself  and 
battling  for  four  or  five  months,  at  the  end  of  which* 
time  his  appetite  was  good,  eating  was  a positive  grati- 
fication, and  he  was  not  aware  that  he  had  a stomach. 
It  must  be  stated  also  that  he  bound  himself  not  to  eat 
between  meals.  One  of  the  best  and  least  anticipated 
effects  of  this  course  was  that  it  secured  thorough  mas- 
tication and  insalivation  of  the  food,  — a thing  necessary 
to  good  digestion.  For  he  spent  as  much  time  in  eating 
this  quantity  as  he  would  have  done  in  eating  twice  as 
much,  and  he  soon  found  himself  instinctively  prolong- 
ing the  meal,  and  making  the  most  of  the  quantity 
which  he  had  allowed  himself.” 

INSTINCT  AND  THE  FEVER  CURE. 

Mr.  M.  gives  another  striking  “ case  ” : — 

“ The  most  remarkable  case  of  this  instinct  and  of  a 
fever  cure  (not  4 on  record,’  for  this  is  the  first  time  it 
has  been  put  on  record),  of  which  we  have  ever  heard, 
occurred  some  years  ago  in  this  State.  It  is  vouched 
for  by  a physician  in  good  standing.  He  left  a fever 
patient  in  the  early  evening  under  the  impression  that 
nothing  could  save  him,  and  that  he  would  be  dead  by 
morning.  About  midnight  a member  of  the  patient’s 
family  called  him  up  and  requested  him  to  visit  the 
patient  again.  Going  toward  the  house,  when  a square 


NOTES. 


279 


distant,  he  heard  a voice  crying,  4 Cider ! Cider ! Cider ! ’ 
the  voice  growing  louder  as  he  neared  the  house,  and 
continuing  the  cry  in  a monotonous  and  mechanical 
tone.  He  found  on  entering  the  house  that  the  cry 
issued  from  his  patient,  who  seemed  unconscious  and 
paid  no  attention  to  anything  said  or  done,  but  kept  on 
crying  6 Cider  ! ’ The  physician  procured  a pitcher  full 
of  cider  and  raised  the  patient  up,  resting  his  back 
against  pillows,  and  placed  the  pitcher  in  his  hands. 
He  clutched  it  greedily  and  drained  it  to  the  bottom  ! 
Then  he  went  on  crying  4 Cider ! ’ the  cry  gradually 
growing  lower  until  the  patient  fell  asleep.  The  physi- 
cian remained  until  the  man’s  skin  began  to  soften  and 
grow  moist.  In  the  morning  the  physician  returned  and 
found  the  patient  doing  well,  and  he  soon  recovered. 
He  had  no  recollection  whatever  of  having  cried 4 Cider!’ 
having  been  unconscious  all  the  while.  The  instinct 
within  him  appears  to  have  taken  possession  of  the 
unconscious  man,  and  like  a good  spirit,  used  his  voice 
to  tell  what  would  save  him.  Cider,  therefore,  may  be 
set  down  as  a remedy  for  fever.” 

In  another  part  of  this  book  the  value  of  acids,  in 
some  conditions  of  the  system,  is  referred  to.  The  latest 
researches  in  physiology  show  that  they  act  upon  the 
liver  and  thus  promote  the  withdrawal  of  the  bile  from 
the  blood.  Too  much  bile  in  the  blood  is  the  cause 
of  bilious  fever.  It  should,  however,  be  borne  in  mind, 
that  the  natural  acids,  as  in  fruits  and  lemons,  are  more 
beneficial  than  acids  which  are  the  result  of  fermenta- 
tion, such  as  vinegar,  the  habitual  and  large  use  of 
which  for  a considerable  time  has  been  known  to  cause 


280 


NOTES. 


confirmed  consumption,  hence  the  acid  of  the  lemon  is 
safer  and  more  efficient  than  cider  or  vinegar. 

The  author  does  not  hesitate  to  use  whole  facts,  for 
they  alone  are  truths,  wherever  he  finds  them,  and  place 
the  whole  world  under  contribution  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a book  which  is  safe,  practical,  and  true  as  to 
its  great  general  principles,  and  which  may  be  read  with 
as  much  profit  by  persons  of  every  age  and  sex  and 
condition  twenty  years  to  come  as  to-day ; and  it  may 
be  destined  to  fill  a place  assigned  for  it  by  that  dis- 
tinguished man,  Henry  Ward  Beecher,  who  has  written 
of  it  in  his  “ Christian  Union  ” : u We  can  cordially 
recommend  it  for  school  and  village  libraries ; it  would 
do  much  toward  teaching  the  young  how  to  keep  God’s 
law  written  in  their  bodies.” 

And  here  the  author  desires  to  suggest  respectfully 
to  parents,  that  a book  thus  spoken  of  by  prominent, 
educated  men  is  most  likely  a safe  book  for  all  young 
persons  to  read.  Suppose,  for  example,  that  a father  or 
mother  has  it  in  contemplation  to  prepare  a son  for  the 
ministry,  or  of  greater  moment  still,  for  the  missionary 
field  in  foreign  lands,  and  that  son  by  reading  the  book 
should  learn  to  understand  the  importance  of  taking 
care  of  his  health,  and  should  use  the  safe  and  practi- 
cable means  advised  for  doing  this,  what  arithmetic  can 
compute  the  difference  between  the  influences  left  on 
the  world’s  history  from  a broken  constitution  on  the 
day  of  his  leaving  the  seminary  and  travelling  for  his 
health,  to  die  in  a year  or  two,  or  even  less,  and  embark- 
ing for  a foreign  missionary  field  with  a stalwart  body 
and  a vigorous  intellect,  and  living  to  the  age  and  influ- 


NOTES. 


281 


ence  and  power  of  a Judson,  a King,  a Scudder,  or  a 
Morrison,  working  for  the  elevation  of  whole  peoples 
from  barbarism  to  the  plane  of  a Bible  Christianity 
Let  parents  and  the  managers  of  our  schools,  academies, 
colleges,  and  theological  seminaries  think  of  this. 


INDEX. 


A. 

Antifogmatic,  14. 

Ague  and  fever,  preventive,  15. 
Appetite,  46. 

Appetite,  want  of,  112. 

Air  of  out-doors,  120. 

Appetite,  inappeasable,  143.. 
Appetite,  whetting,  147. 

Air  and  exercise,  200. 

Antidote,  218. 

B. 

Bodily  temperature,  3. 
Breakfast,  12. 

Business  dangers,  27. 

Bad  blood,  57,  133. 
Boarding-schools,  80,  83. 
Broken  ties,  86. 

Bad  habits,  96. 

Biliousness,  cause,  117. 
Biliousness,  cured,  117. 

Bloody  flux,  216. 

Bananas.  217. 

Bacon,  217. 

Burns,  218. 

Brain  fever,  11,  223. 

Bread,  bran,  and  wheat,  257. 

C. 

Cheerfulness,  37. 

City  health,  58. 

Cornaro,  68. 

Children’s  eating,  74,  77,  91. 
Consumption,  90. 

Children  at  table,  104. 

Cold  feet,  108. 

Congestion,  114. 

Coffee,  155. 

Cole  slaw,  160. 

Carriage  riding,  165. 

Calomel,  212. 

Cabbage,  215. 

Cider,  215. 


Celery,  217. 

Cracked  wheat,  221. 

Chronic  diseases,  233. 

D. 

Dinner  time,  22. 

Dangers  of  business,  27. 
Down-town  dinners,  43. 
Daily  food,  66. 

Diet  for  sick,  67. 

Diet  for  summer,  69. 
Digestive  organs,  75. 
Digestion,  diseases  of,  76. 
Dresses,  fine,  84. 

Dull  pains,  115. 

Dyspepsia,  123. 

Dyspepsia,  symptoms  of,  124 
Dyspepsia,  causes  of,  127. 
Dyspepsia,  cure,  139,  203. 
Drink,  what  to,  154. 

Diet  for  neuralgics,  171. 

Die  in  peace,  194. 

Diarrhoea,  213,  218. 
Dysentery,  213,  216. 
Drunkenness,  225. 
Digestibility  of  food,  241. 

E. 

Eating,  object  of,  1. 

Eating  for  warmth,  4. 

Eating  to  grow,  6. 

Eating  for  repair,  8. 

Eating  for  labor,  10. 

Eating  for  thought,  12. 
Eating,  times  of,  13. 

Eat,  what  to,  45,  153. 

Egg  a day,  51. 

Eat,  how  much  to,  56,  68 
Eating,  when  to  quit,  60 
Eating  by  measure,  63. 
Eating,  errors  of,  90. 

Eating  regularly,  93. 

Eating,  perils  of,  97. 


284  INDEX. 


Eating,  frequent,  98. 

Eat,  how'  to,  99. 

Eat  deliberately,  101,  144 
Exercise,  best,  136,  191. 

Eating  by  rule,  142. 

Epileps}",  211. 

Erysipelas,  219. 

Elements  of  food,  247. 

F. 

Fat,  how  to  get,  52. 

Forger,  the,  53. 

Functional  disease,  166. 

Food  cure,  209. 

Falling,  231. 

F ood,  its  digestibility,  241. 

Food,  nutritiousness,  245. 

Food,  elements,  245. 

Food,  warmth  and  strength,  250. 

G. 

Girls’  eating,  80. 

Girls  at  home,  89. 

Goneness,  145. 

Gnawing,  159. 

Grape  cure,  221. 

H. 

Health  of  cities,  58. 

Hasper,  Aunty,  105. 

Headache,  108. 

Hard  work,  116. 

Hunger,  128,  157. 

Hoarseness,  178. 

Hysterics,  190. 

Hospitals,  201. 

Horseback  exercise,  203,  261. 
How  much  to  eat,  255. 

I. 

Instinct,  2,  197. 

Intermittents,  preventive,  14. 
Infallible  remedy,  96. 

Indigestion,  126. 

Irritability,  173. 

Ill-nature,  179. 

J. 

Jaundice,  111. 

K. 

Keeping  strength,  236 


L. 

Luncheon  time,  23. 

Lunch,  a good,  38. 

Leanness,  how  caused,  48 
Light  suppers,  57. 

Leave  off  hungiy,  60. 

Lent,  keeping,  74. 

Liver,  lazy,  112. 

Lawrence,  Amos,  141. 

Liver  complaint,  207. 

Low  spirits,  210. 

M. 

Miasm,  18,  259. 

Maidenly  purity,  87. 

Mental  diversion,  186. 
Medicine,  what  is  it,  208. 
Money  and  medicine,  210 
Milk  cure,  221. 

Milk  table,  251. 

N. 

Novel-reading,  84. 

Nature’s  habits,  94. 

Neuralgia,  166. 

Nervousness,  173. 

Nervous  debility,  183. 

Nervous  diseases,  190. 

Nervous  dyspeptic,  215. 
Nutritiousness  of  food,  245,  252. 

O. 

Out-of-doors  daily,  163. 

Organic  disease,  166. 

Out-door  activities,  177. 
Out-door  walks,  187. 
Over-exercise,  205. 

P. 

Prison  fare,  67. 

Pains,  dull,  115. 

Perspiration,  117. 

Physical  nervousness,  190. 
Physic,  what  is  it?  208. 
Parched  rice,  218. 

Poison,  antidote,  218. 

R. 

Rest  after  eating,  42. 
Recuperation,  137. 
Rocking-chairs,  164. 

Raw  and  roast  beef,  216. 

Rest,  228 


INDEX, 


285 


s. 

Supper  time,  20. 

Surfeit,  cured,  34. 
Sandwiches,  38. 

Supper,  light,  57. 

Sick  diet,  67. 

Summer  diet,  69. 

Spring  diseases,  72. 

Sick  wife,  83. 

Sunday  plans,  189. 
Spitting  blood,  211. 

Salt,  211,  218. 

Scalds,  218. 

Snake-bites,  219. 

T. 

Tonics,  mischievous,  114. 
Tea,  355. 

The  aimless  life,  181. 


Teething,  217. 
Tooth-ache;  219,  220. 
Tomatoes,  219. 

U. 

Unity  of  disease,  195. 

V. 

Vinegar  a digester,  159. 
Values  of  food,  254. 

W. 

Wives  warned,  28. 

Wall  Street  wisdom,  29. 
Walking  healthful,  36. 
Water-melons,  212. 
Warmth,  229,  243. 
Warmth  in  food,  251* 


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sMei 


P;  OR,  THE  HYGIENE  OF  THE  NIG 


liy  W.  W.  HALL,  M.  D. 

I vol.  i2mo.  $1.50. 


[ Uniform  with  Health  by  Good  Living,  Health  and  Disease * Bronchitis,  Cough s 

and  Colds.  1 


Between  the  closing  of  the  chamber  door  at  night  and  its 
opening  in  the  morning  a third  of  human  life  passes  away  ; and 
upon  the  manner  of  its  employment  the  physical,  mental,  and 
moral  character  of  man  largely  depends. 

This  book  deals  with  the  important  questions  of  air,  pure  and 
impure  ; ventilation,  sleeping  habits,  nursing,  etc. 

Upon  a proper  attention  to  these  subjects  depends  much  of  the 
regular  action  of  the  mind  and  body. 

The  book  is  intended  to  urge  the  practical  and  individual  appli- 
cation of  the  important  truths  considered,  on  the  part  of  husbands, 
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in  acquainting  himself  with 

THE  HYGIENE  OF  THE  NIGHT. 


Contents  of  the  Chapters  are  : — 

Sleeping  with  the  Old  ; Deadly  Nature  of  Bad  Air  ; Pure  Sleeping  Rooms  ; 
Sleeping  in  Prisons  ; Vitiated  Chambers  ; Bodily  Emanations  : Night  Lodg- 
ings in  Cities  ; Sleeping  with  Others  ; Indulgences  of  the  Night ; Business 
and  Sound  Sleep  ; Nursing  Children  at  Night ; Morning  Debilities  ; Bad 
Night  Habits  ; Ventilating  Chambers  ; Ventilation  and  House  Warming  ; 
Ventilation  and  Longevity  ; The  Breath  of  Life  ; Sleeping  with  Consumptives  ; 
Poisonous  Chambers;  Nervousness,  Debilities,  etc.  ^Private  Considerations  ; 
Boohs  on  Physiology,  Manhood,  Marriage,  etc.,  their  False  Teachings,  their 
~ rnicious  Effects,  and  their  Corrupting  Tendencies. 


‘ This  volume  contains  a great  deal  of  valuable  information,  and  is  well  adapted  to  the  popular 
,®iud.”  ^Pacific  Medical  and  Surgical  Journal,  San  Francisco, 


BRONCHITIS  AND  KINDRED  DISEASES. 


By  W.  W.  HALL,  M.  D. 

In  one  vol.  i2mo.  $1.50 


Some  of  the  contents  of  the  book  are : — 


Air  and  Health  5 Baths  and  Bathing;  Chill  and  Fever;  Cancer  ; Clerical 
Health  ; Croup  ; Cod  Liver  Oil ; Mortality  of  Cities  ; Diarrhoea  ; Suggestions 
to  Editors  ; Fever  and  Ague ; Manner  ol  Growth  ; High  Livers  ; Over-feed- 
ing ; Patent  Medicines  ; Sick  Headache  ; Poisonous  Candies  ; Effects  of 
Tobacco  ; Theological  Students. 


HURD  AND  HOUGHTON,  New  York; 

H.  O.  HOUGHTON  & CO.,  Riverside,  Cambridge,  Mass. 


UGHS  AND  COLDS; 

Or,  The  Prevention,  Cause,  and  Cure  of  various  Affections  of  the  Throat." 

With  cases  illustrating  the  remarkable  efficacy  of  out-door  activity  and  horseback 
exercise  in  permanently  arresting  the  progress  of  Diseases  of  the  Chest . 

By  W.  W.  HALL,  M.  D. 

A 

In  one  vol.  i2mo.  Si. 50. 

I Uniform  with  Health  by  Good  Living,  Sleep , Health  and  Disease,  Bronchitis .] 


Multitudes  have  had  coughs  and  colds  at  intervals  for  a long 
life-time,  and  at  death  their  lungs  have  been  found  perfectly 
healthy  ; yet,  of  all  who  die  a natural  death,  one  in  every  six  has 
a cough  arising  from  a diseased  condition  of  the  lungs.  This 
cough  originates  in  a tickling  sensation  at  the  little  hollow  at  the 
bottom  of  the  neck  in  front. 

Sometimes  this  tickling  disappears  of  itself  in  a week,  a day, 
an  hour.  Sometimes  it  lasts  a score  or  two  of  years,  as  in  bron- 
chitis, without  seeming  to  shorten  life.  Then  again,  if  it  always 
comes  on  in  the  morning,  not  necessarily  at  other  times,  with  two 
or  three  other  symptoms,  it  means  consumption  begun,  and  death 
within  two  years,  on  an  average. 

The  object  of  this  book  is  to  show  how  to  ascertain  the  char- 
acter of  these  ticklings  in  the  throat,  in  their  beginnings,  and  to 
point  out  the  unmedicinal  means  of  alleviation,  eradication,  and 
cure,  in  all  curable  cases. 


Some  of  the  contents  of  the  book  are  : — 

Air  and  Exercise  ; Asthma ; Bad  Colds ; Brandy  Drinking  ; 
Consumption  ; Croup  ; Chronic  Laryngitis  ; Eruptions  ; Expec- 
toration ; Eating  and . Exercise  ; Fatigue  ; Hectic  ; Horseback 
Exercise  ; Impure  Air  y Inhalation ; Night  Sweats ; Occupation 
in  Consumption ; Porter  Drinking  ; Summer  Complaint ; Sea- 
voyage  ; Sea-shore ; Southern  Climate ; Tight  Lacing ; Throat 
onics. 


HURD  AMD  HOUGHTON,  New  York; 
OUGHTON  & CO.,  Riverside,  Cambridge,  Mass. 


